WHAT better way to celebrate National Clean Air Day than to propose a greener future for Southampton.

'Green City Charter' was launched by Southampton City Council yesterday afternoon with efforts to reduce air pollution in the city and prioritise climate change.

Local businesses attended a talk at Guildhall in Southampton's City Centre, when councillors announced how the charter will benefit the city.

Cabinet Member for Green City Southampton City Council and Cllr Steve Leggett said: "We want to be carbon-neutral by 2030, which is very ambitious, and we want to reduce pollution down to 25 milligrams by 2025.

"We cannot do this on our own - a significant change seems quite possible and the Green City Charter needs to play a role.

He added: "Climate change must be made a priority and it's not just about reducing air pollution, it's important for people.

"Time is running out so we need to be persistent."

Dr Ray Hall, 71, from Oxford, signed the charter and said: "Southampton can harness their history of using water for energy generation."

Mandi Bissett, who is the director of Southampton Collective, said: "Change often comes in unpredictable ways.

"There are few green spaces now and children no longer play indoors - I ask the wider community of Southampton to collaborate with us to make it a vibrant place as we all have vital contributions to make."

Southampton's shopping centre Westquay was just one of the businesses who signed up to the scheme.

Andy Collyer, General Manager at Westquay, said: "Here at Westquay, we know that in order to make a real difference, we need to take proactive steps today, we can’t afford to kick the can down the road.

"That is why we are aiming to have a net positive impact across our European portfolio by 2030, and why we fully support the Green City Charter."