Jane Burston

Activist, Change Agent, Environmentalist, Foodie, Global soul, Philanthropist, Potential employer, Social entrepreneur

Jane Burston is the founding Executive Director of the Clean Air Fund, a philanthropic organisation dedicated to creating a future where everyone breathes clean air. It was launched in 2019 with $50m in funds from donors working on health, climate, children's development and sustainable mobility. Before setting up the organisation, Jane worked as Head of Climate and Energy Science in the UK Government, where she was responsible for the UK greenhouse gas inventory and a £45m science programme. Previously, as Head of Energy and Environment at the National Physical Laboratory, Jane led a team of 150 scientists working in air quality, greenhouse gas measurement and renewable energy. In 2020, Jane was profiled as one of WIRED’s changemakers of tomorrow. She was named as a ‘Young Global Leader’ of the World Economic Forum, as one of the ‘40 under 40’ European Young Leaders and was previously a UK Social Entrepreneur of the year. Jane is also a trustee of Parkinson’s UK and a keen triathlete.

Delivering clean air for all through radical, equitable and impactful action.

A world where everybody can breathe clean air. We all need clean air. Yet 9 out of 10 people breathe air that is harmful and dirty, making air pollution one of our biggest health threats. It doesn’t have to be this way. Clean solutions improve our health and our climate – and if done right they save money and improve equity too.

air pollution, air quality, climate change, energy, philanthropy

The first time I thought hard about air pollution was when I moved to London and saw the filter in my mask turn black after a week of cycling to work. I had always cared about the climate. I began to see that where the issue of climate change felt remote, global, impersonal, politically-charged and sometimes divisive, the issue of air pollution was immediate, local and tangibly affecting people’s health and livelihoods right now, as well as damaging the environment. I could see that momentum was building worldwide for tackling air pollution through the increase in public demand, research and funding, but it wasn’t yet enough. I founded the Clean Air Fund in 2019 with a vision to supercharge the movement for clean air across the globe, delivering co-benefits for health, climate, the economy and social justice. Some of our early work has proved the exciting potential of low-cost air quality monitoring systems in cities, the value of coordinating clear campaign asks of governments, the economic benefits of tackling pollution – for government, citizens and businesses, and the crucial role that the private sector has to play in clean air action. My hope for the future is that we achieve ambitious legislation and standards on air quality in as many cities and countries as possible, that these laws are enforced, and that as an organisation we are able to support this change, from grassroots to government, for the benefit of communities worldwide.

Synchronised swimming…