Kick-Off Workshop for the ACT-AQ Project

ACT-AQ Kick-off: Launch of a New Research Project on Air Quality

On July 8 and 9, 2026, the Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment hosted the kick-off workshop for the ACT-AQ project—ACTing to improve Air Quality—in the KDM Lounge at the International Maritime Museum in Hamburg. More than 20 researchers from the Helmholtz Centers Hereon, Forschungszentrum Jülich, KIT, RIFS, Helmholtz Munich, and the Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf attended the kick-off event, along with representatives from environmental agencies, ensuring their direct involvement from the very start of the project.

The project focuses on ultrafine particles (UFPs) and ozone—two pollutants that have so far been inadequately addressed by the revised European Air Quality Directive (Ambient Air Quality Directive, AAQD). The new directive must be transposed into national law in Germany by the end of 2026, and the new limit values must be met by EU member states by 2030; ACT-AQ intends to provide scientific guidance throughout this process and support state and federal authorities with reliable data.

On the first day, project leader Dr. Volker Matthias (Hereon) presented the consortium, the project objectives, and the timeline. The kick-off was primarily intended to foster networking and to identify common priorities and knowledge gaps. In subsequent working groups, the researchers developed initial concepts for two planned synthesis publications on the topics of ozone and ultrafine particulate matter (UFP). In addition, a keynote presentation by Dr. Felix Beyers (RIFS) addressed the question of how the project’s societal impact can be made visible and reflected upon. The project is to be continuously evaluated and further developed through impact-oriented accompanying research.

On the second day, two keynote speeches placed the project within its political context: Jutta Paulus, rapporteur for the AAQD in the European Parliament, traced the development of the revised directive. Jörg Lühmann from the Hamburg Authority for Environment, Climate, Energy, and Agriculture (BUKEA) spoke from the perspective of government agencies and identified specific research questions for the scientific community. In the ensuing discussion, which included Andreas Kerschbaumer from the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transportation, and Climate Protection, it became clear how valuable close collaboration between the scientific community and government agencies is for advancing effective measures against air pollution.

Later in the session, Bettina Steuri (GERICS) presented a structured stakeholder mapping exercise, which is expected to lead to an initial stakeholder workshop in November 2026 featuring representatives from government agencies, politics, industry, and NGOs. Finally, the consortium agreed on the project’s future structure, including regular meetings and writing groups for the two planned review papers.