Contributing to Change
Why Clean Air
Clean air is fundamental to human health, dignity, and opportunity. It affects how children learn and grow, how adults live and work, and how communities thrive. Poor air quality increases respiratory and cardiovascular disease, reduces life expectancy, strains the health system, and limits people’s ability to live full, productive lives.
For Johannesburg—where pollution is unevenly distributed and disproportionately impacts disadvantaged communities—clean air is not only an environmental issue; it is a matter of equity, justice, and public wellbeing. Ensuring cleaner air means creating safer neighbourhoods, healthier families, and a stronger, more resilient city.
The Problem We Are Addressing
Johannesburg is South Africa’s largest city and economic hub, with a population of over 5 million people and continued urban growth. Rapid development, increasing transport demand, and industrial activity place significant pressure on air quality, making coordinated and data-driven interventions essential.
This initiative responds by empowering communities with the knowledge, tools, and support to take action. By cultivating a citywide network of organisations working on air quality, the project amplifies grassroots leadership and strengthens collective power to advocate for cleaner, healthier environments.
Breathe Joburg objective are to:
Projects such as Breathe Better together seek to empower communities with the knowledge, tools, and support to take action. By cultivating a citywide network of organisations working on air quality, the project amplifies grassroots leadership and strengthens collective power to advocate for cleaner, healthier environments.
By enabling communities to monitor air quality, run campaigns, and advocate for fairer environmental policies, Breathe Joburg is helping create a powerful grassroots network capable of driving lasting change for Johannesburg and its residents—because every person deserves the right to breathe clean, safe air.
