About AIR
Improving air quality in our towns and cities through better vehicle choices.
The AIR Alliance
The coalition improving air quality now
The AIR Alliance is a global not-for-profit organisation which empowers car and van buyers and policy makers with the ability to reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality by providing an independent, trusted, on-road vehicle emissions ratings for vehicles – the AIR Index.
The AIR Alliance was formed in 2017 by Nick Molden, founder of Emissions Analytics and Massimo Fedeli of Fair Play Consulting and is an alliance of scientists, health regulatory experts, people and organisations committed to addressing harmful emissions from vehicles including NOx and CO2.
Members and supporters of the AIR Alliance enable the organisation to provide information which is:
- COMPARABLE: Based on the most thorough assessment of on-road driving conditions enabling genuine comparability between vehicle models, makes and manufacturers, both new and old.
- ACCESSIBLE: Data is publicly available, transparent and free of charge.
- STANDARDISED: Based on the European CEN methodology to deliver a data set across all markets and regions providing a truly global rating system for tailpipe emissions and vehicle interior air quality (VIAQ).
- INDEPENDENT: The most comprehensive, independently endorsed, data available in the market place.
- IMMEDIATE: Available now.
A global independent rating system
Reducing the harmful impact of vehicle emissions
The AIR Alliance’s inspiration is NCAP – the New Car Assessment Programme – an independent vehicle-safety rating system developed in the US in the 1970s. It became the industry standard for vehicle safety in the EU and around the world
The programme held automakers accountable for their safety performance, resulting in a voluntary adoption of technologies that led to safer vehicles as a means to differentiate their models in the market place to remain competitive. In time, this process incentivised car manufacturers to develop ever more innovative solutions to increase safety standards as a means to differentiate their models in the market place.
NCAP is to safety what the AIR Index is to vehicle emissions. The AIR Alliance uses this framework as an inspiration. This tried and trusted method can be used now to reduce the harmful impact of vehicle emissions. There is no association between The AIR Alliance, AIR Index and NCAP or any of its members.
The Scientific Advisory Committee
Trusted, Independent Scrutiny
The development of the AIR Index has been led by the world’s leading academics in the
fields of emissions and air quality and they make up the AIR Alliance’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).
They review, and support, the rating system based upon the latest European CEN methodologies CWA 17379 and CWA 17934 which
are sufficiently robust for car and van makers and policy makers to take immediate action to solve the NOx crisis and address CO2 emissions and protect vehicle occupants from exterior pollution.
The Members Advisory Committee
The Members Advisory Committee (MAC) comprises representatives of members of the AIR Alliance.
Along with the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), they ensure that AIR’s reputation and good governance are exemplary and maintain the independence of the AIR Alliance preventing commercial interests from influencing operational, governance and scientific decision making in any way that conflict with the AIR Manifesto or the achievement of AIR’s strategy and objectives.