The first day of this year’s Routes to Clean Air conference concluded with the much-anticipated conference dinner and the presentation of the annual Ian McCrae award. Every year the award is given to an IAQM member who has demonstrated their commitment to the air quality profession. This year the award was open to IAQM Associates or

Members in the early stages of their career. Entrants were asked to submit a short essay, exploring what they think the main UK air quality issues will be in 2030.

This year’s winner was Laurence Lovell, an Environmental Consultant at Arup. Laurence wrote about the importance of Particulate Matter (PM) and how in the future air quality professionals will be able to quantify health effects in addition to air quality impacts. New sources of pollution will include diesel generators for charging electric vehicles, possibly leading to exceedances of short-term NO2 objectives. Making air quality problems ‘visible’ to the public will remain one of the air quality profession’s most persistent challenges. Finally, cheaper sensors may mean we discover that poor air quality is more widespread than we currently think.

Laurence provided a rounded insight into the challenges and opportunities air quality professionals may be faced with by 2030 and gave an inspiring acceptance speech after being presented with his award by the IAQM Chair, Dr Claire Holman.

This award was established in memory of Dr Ian McCrae who sadly passed away in 2010. Dr McCrae was a well-respected air quality practitioner and member of the IAQM.