Digital Agenda Funding

Project Status: Live Project

Project Leader: Caitriona Strain

EU Programme: PEACE II

Project Budget: €6,499,958

Start Date: Sep, 2025

Finish Date: May, 2029

Project Website:

The aim of the project is to:

To establish a cross-border partnership that strengthens evidence-based action on clean air through collaborative research, strategic engagement, and coordinated policy development.

Specific objectives are to:

Reduce cross-border legal and administrative barriers to effective air quality management by implementing a series of jointly developed actions and strategic stakeholder engagement initiatives.
Foster cross-border and cross-community cooperation by building capacity for collaborative clean air research and coordinated action across the island of Ireland.
Engage key stakeholders—including local authorities, environmental agencies, academic researchers, policymakers, and the public—through co-designed activities that promote shared responsibility for air quality improvement.
Generate new scientific evidence on the sources and impacts of air pollution to inform harmonised emission reduction policies, support public awareness campaigns, and encourage behavioural change.
Strengthen the enforcement capabilities of local authorities by supporting the implementation of solid fuel regulations and providing tools to facilitate compliance and monitoring.

Donegal, Ireland
ERNACT Network(Lead Partner)
Overall project manager, communications and administration and reporting


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Armagh, United Kingdom
Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council(Partner)
For the delivery of local air quality monitoring evidence, local community engagement on citizen science, project awaren


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Belfast, United Kingdom
Institute of Public Health(Partner)
IPH has extensive experience of encouraging and facilitating all-island working, which will support the overall aim of supporting engagement and cooperation between strategic stakeholders on clean air.


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Cork, Ireland
University College Cork(Partner)
The Centre for Research into Atmospheric Chemistry (CRAC) at UCC is a world-renowned centre of scientific excellence for atmospheric research.


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Derry & Strabane, United Kingdom
Derry City & Strabane District Council(Associate)
Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) will leverage their expertise in environmental policy, community engage


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Donegal, Ireland
Donegal County Council(Partner)
DCC have a well-established working relationship with communities through the Public Participation Network, Decarbonising Zones, SlainteCare Areas and Community Development and Biodiversity Projects.


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Dublin, Ireland
Technological University Dublin(Partner)
the Air Quality teams at TU Dublin bring specific expertise and equipment to the project proposal which is not readily a


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Dublin, Ireland
Trinity College Dublin(Partner)
TCD team will focus on identifying appropriate interventions at locations that may be pollution hotspots and impacting vulnerable population groups, developing design 


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Galway, Ireland
University of Galway(Partner)
The University of Galway’s Centre for Climate and Air Pollution studies (C-CAPS), led by Prof. Jurgita Ovadnevaite, cont


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Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Ulster University (Partner)
Ulster’s role embeds community co-development strategies, synergistic EHO-led Partnerships, inter-disciplinary Health tr

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Strand, United Kingdom

Queens University Belfast (Partner)
Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) brings unparalleled expertise to the consortium, providing a multidisciplinary team with extensive experience in air pollution research and its societal and ecological impacts.

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Establishment of Strategic All-Island Partnerships: creation of lasting cross-border partnerships involving local authorities, environmental agencies, and research institutions to collaboratively manage air pollution and deliver cleaner air across the island.
Development of a Multi- and Interdisciplinary Research Community: formation of a unique research network with expertise across scientific, environmental, health, and policy domains, equipped to address the complex and interconnected nature of air quality challenges.
Scientific Attribution of Air Pollution Sources: delivery of robust source attribution studies to quantify the contributions of solid fuel burning, road transport, and agricultural ammonia emissions to particulate matter (PM) pollution.
Accredited Solid Fuel Testing Laboratory: establishment of the first accredited laboratory for solid fuel testing on the island of Ireland to support and enhance the enforcement of air quality and solid fuel regulations.
Enhanced Air Quality Data and Modelling Tools: provision of comprehensive air pollution datasets, improved modelling capabilities, and health impact assessments to inform evidence-based policymaking and strategic planning.
Increased Public Awareness and Behavioural Change: implementation of outreach and awareness initiatives to highlight the shared nature of air pollution and its detrimental health impacts, encouraging public engagement and behavioural change.
Capacity Building for Environmental Health Officers: delivery of continued professional development (CPD) opportunities to strengthen the knowledge and enforcement capabilities of Environmental Health Officers across the island.
Cross-Border Strategy and Action Plan for Clean Air: co-creation of an all-island strategy and action plan outlining coordinated cross-border measures for improving air quality, engaging stakeholders, and aligning enforcement and policy responses.

The ERNACT regions focus on adapting and transferring services, approaches or digital knowhow between regions. Please examine the following table to see a list of specific items transferred over the past few years

The overall objective of PEACE-Air is to build a Partnership for Evidence and Action on Clean Air (PEACE-Air). This partnership will work cross-border to improve air quality through strategic engagement, research and activities supporting policies and actions across the island of Ireland.

PEACE-Air will provide scientific evidence on air pollution sources to inform emission reduction policies, raise awareness on the detrimental health effects of air pollution, and its causes, build capacity for clean air research and action, encourage behavioural changes, and strengthen enforcement against air pollution.

The main outputs of PEACE-Air include:

Strategic all island partnerships for managing air pollution and delivering cleaner air.
A unique multi- and interdisciplinary research community equipped to address complex air quality issues.
Source attribution of PM to quantify contributions from solid fuel burning, road transport and agricultural emissions.
The first accredited laboratory for solid fuel testing on the island of Ireland to support enforcement of solid fuel regulations.
Comprehensive air pollution measurement datasets, enhanced and improved modelling capabilities, and health impact assessments to inform and support policy development.
Increased public awareness of the shared challenge and detrimental health effects of air pollution
Continued professional development opportunities for Environmental Health officers
An overall cross-border strategy and action plan for clean air

Our approach to achieving these outputs is centred on research and engagement actions addressing the three main areas outlined above – solid fuel burning, road transport and agricultural ammonia emissions – combined with a range of integrating activities:

Solid Fuel burning will be tackled through cross-border monitoring campaigns, providing detailed chemical speciation and source apportionment of PM, community surveys, and the establishment of an all Island solid fuel testing laboratory.
Transport-related air pollution in cross-border towns will be monitored using low-cost sensor networks and chemical speciation techniques, with citizen scientists engaged to raise awareness.
The impact of agricultural ammonia emissions on health and ecosystems will be investigated through innovative field studies, and the current monitoring networks will be assessed in a cross-border context.
The integration of community engagement, health, and sustainability will be achieved through cross-border strategies, knowledge exchanges, and the implementation of the PEACE-Air Action Plan.