Expert comment: Air pollution was a cause of death, finds Ella Adoo Kissi-Debrah inquest
16 December 2020
Inquest into the death of Ella Adoo Kissi-Debrah
Commenting on the Coroner's inquest report today, Professor Chris Hilson from the School of Law, University of Reading, stated:
"This is the first time that air pollution has been listed as a cause of death in a UK Coroner's inquest. The ruling is incredibly important for that reason alone. It also of course highlights the tragic loss of Ella Adoo Kissi-Debrah's young life, and the contribution the authorities may have made by failing to ensure that legal limits on air pollution were respected. As a matter of environmental justice, we know that the harm from air pollution disproportionately affects those from less well-off and BAME communities. The Coroner's conclusions send a powerful statement of what needs to be done. This includes providing those living in vulnerable areas with information on the risks they face, but also taking meaningful, immediate action to tackle air pollution."