The diesel scandal - still making our kids sick

10th July 2026

We’ve made a short film calling out the UK government and car manufacturers over the millions of illegally polluting diesel cars still on UK roads - and what they're doing to our children's lungs.

Produced for us by creative studio Dog Cat & Mouse, the film exposes the stark gap between how the US, Germany and the UK have responded to the ongoing diesel emissions scandal.

Despite the millions of diesel cars still on UK roads emitting thousands of tonnes of excess pollution every year, almost nothing has been done here, whereas in the US and Germany, billions were paid in fines and settlements, some executives were imprisoned, and cars taken off the roads.

Since 2009, excess diesel emissions have led to 30,000 new cases of childhood asthma, 16,000 premature deaths and 800,000 days of sick leave in the UK. A whole generation of children has grown up breathing far dirtier air than they should have.

This has to stop. We are calling for the government to take every one of these illegally polluting vehicles off the UK's roads before more children get sick - with manufacturers footing the bill, not our children's health or drivers' pockets.

Visuals created with the assistance of AI.