BACK ELLA’S LAW

The Ella Roberta Foundation has long called for an update to the UK’s legislation that governs air quality. Successive governments have failed to bring existing laws into line with the air quality guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO). As a result, the air that most of us breathe in the UK has so much pollution in it, that it far exceeds the limits deemed as ‘safe’ by the WHO.

A version of the Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill, known as Ella’s Law, was originally passed by the House of Lords as a Private Member’s Bill in 2023.  There was not enough time in the parliamentary session for it to make its way to the House of Commons, but a revised version was reintroduced in the House of Commons in July 2025. Due to parliamentary process, it is unlikely to be adopted into law unless this Government push for it.

We believe that everyone has a right to breathe clean air. Ella’s Law would enshrine this right in law and place stronger duties on government and public bodies to tackle air pollution, including a pathway to achieving WHO guidelines for air quality.

Ella’s death led to a landmark legal recognition of the devastating impact air pollution can have on human health. We now need that recognition to lead to lasting change in the law.

Where is Ella’s Law now?

Ella’s Law was reintroduced to the House of Commons on 1 July 2025, by Siân Berry MP,  when it successfully completed its first reading. Its second reading was originally scheduled for November 2025 and was subsequently moved to 27 March 2026.

However, as a Private Member’s Bill, Ella’s Law was dependent on sufficient parliamentary time being made available for it to progress. The Bill did not receive its second reading before the end of the 2024–26 parliamentary session and therefore fell when Parliament was prorogued.

This means Ella’s Law must now be introduced again in the new parliamentary session, or its provisions adopted and taken forward by the Government, if it is to become law.

Our campaign is far from over. We need your help to make Ella’s Law a reality.

The previous Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill fell when the 2024–26 parliamentary session came to an end but the campaign for Ella’s Law continues.

We are calling on the Government to support Ella’s Law and make the right to breathe clean air a reality. Government backing would give the legislation the parliamentary time and support it needs to progress.

What can you do? Write to the Prime Minister

Write to the Prime Minister and ask for the Government to take forward Ella’s Law. Ella’s Law would enshrine the right to breathe clean air in UK law.

The more people who speak up, the stronger the message to Government that clean air matters to the public and that protecting our health from air pollution must be a priority.

Please copy and paste the text below and send to The Prime Minister.

Send to: andy.burnham.mp@parliament.uk

CC in your local MP if you know them.

Dear Prime Minister,

The Clean Air Human Rights Bill known as Ella’s Law, has been introduced in both Houses at various points over the past few years.  Ella’s Law is named after Ella Roberta Adoo-Kissi-Debrah who died aged 9 from asthma caused by air pollution, primarily from traffic emissions from the South Circular road close to where she lived in London.

But we know Ella is not the only one, the Royal College of Physicians linked air pollution to a range of 700 illnesses, including cancer and dementia, citing that it causes 500 premature deaths per week in the UK. The UK also has one of the highest number of emergency admissions and death rates for childhood asthma in Europe. Air pollution also costs the UK as much as £27 billion, rising to £50 billion if the wider impacts such as dementia, are taken into consideration. The poorest and most vulnerable in our society suffer the most, whilst contributing the least to the problem of poor air quality.

Importantly Ella’s Law would:

– Establish a pathway to comply with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) air quality guidelines – the very minimum levels of air pollution to protect human health. The UK’s current air quality targets fall far below what is deemed ‘safe’ by the WHO and the EU.

– Enshrine the Human Right to clean air in law thus preventing the deaths of children and other vulnerable people, whilst helping to protect the environment and mitigate climate change.

Please do what is right and protect the health of everyone in the UK by committing your government to enact Ella’s Law.

Air pollution affects us all and your attention to it should be above party politics. People are dying in the UK from something that is highly preventable, we urge you to do something about it and protect the citizens you were elected to represent.

Yours sincerely,

[insert name]