Investing in clean air can save lives and fight climate change – Global Issues

International Day of Clean Air and Blue Sky, celebrated annually on 7 September, focuses on the slogan ‘Invest in #CleanAirNow’ and highlights the economic, environmental and health benefits of investing in clean air.

This day was established in 2019 after the UN General Assembly noted how harmful air pollutants are and recognized the importance of clean air in people’s lives.

UN chief António Guterres said pollution is an unstoppable silent killer and urged the world to “invest now, so we can breathe easy”.

Invest in clean air

Mr Guterres emphasized how harmful pollution can be, noting that 99 percent of people breathe polluted air that leads to millions of premature deaths in the world.

“Pollution is also stifling the economy and burning our planet, adding fuel to the fire of the climate crisis,” the UN official said. “And it disproportionately affects the most vulnerable in society, including women, children and the elderly.”

The Secretary-General said that investing in clean air will take steps from the government, businesses, development organizations and others at the regional and global levels.

Mr. Guterres encourages stakeholders to reduce their use of fossil fuels, switch to cleaner cooking and increase air quality monitoring.

“Investing in clean air saves lives, combats climate change, strengthens the economy, builds just communities, and advances sustainable development goals,” he said. “…let’s invest now so we can breathe easy knowing that we are protecting a healthy world for everyone.”

Air quality and climate

The message of Mr. Guterres marking the international day highlights some of the challenges presented in the new report of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which details the impact of climate change, wildfires and air pollution on human health.

The report noted that both the northern and southern regions experienced “wildfire seasons” in 2023 that caused many deaths and destroyed livestock.

“The 2023 wildfire season set a 10-year record in Canada for total area burned, with seven times more hectares burned than the 1990-2013 average, according to the Canadian National Fire Database,” the report said.

Wildfires are also making air quality worse in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States.

For that reason, WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett said that climate change and air quality cannot be treated separately.

“They go hand in hand and must be fought against,” said Ms. Barrett. “It would be a win-win situation for the health of our planet, its people and our economy, to see the relationship and act accordingly.”

‘No Limits’

Another thing that recognizes the need for change around the world as the international day of the approach of clean air is the UN Environment Program (UNEP) which described air pollution as “the biggest environmental health risk of our time” noting that climate change is worse, reducing agricultural production and causes. economic loss.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, said, “Everyone on this planet has the right to breathe clean air, yet almost everyone has this right violated.”

Ms. Andersen followed the UN’s call for global investment in clean air.

“We are asking countries and regions and cities to establish strict standards for air quality,” he said.

“We are asking them to bring back renewable energy and sustainable transport to hold the industry accountable for stricter emissions standards, and integrate air quality into climate action,” Ms Andersen continued.

UNEP says that if air pollution is tackled proactively, sustainable change and healthy air can be achieved.