Governments have no more excuses for delaying action on air pollution

Nine out of 10 people around the world are still breathing unsafe air. We need to do better, and we have the tools to do so
As the WHO updates its air quality guidelines, governments must implement targets and enforce strategies so we are not left waiting years for clean air

Aidan Farrow

Published: 6:45am, 23 Sep 2021

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Yesterday, the World Health Organization updated its guidelines for the quality of our air for the first time in 15 years.

Air pollution is one of the leading factors affecting health and mortality globally. It is a key contributor to heart disease, strokes, lung cancer, asthma and many other health problems.

Yet a decade and a half after the previous WHO air quality guidelines were published, nine out of 10 people around the world are still breathing unsafe air. This time we need to do better, and we have the tools to do so.

We have more comprehensive data on air pollution than ever before, a clearer understanding of the health implications of PM2.5 pollutants, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and other hazardous pollutants and a growing array of achievable and affordable solutions. There is no reason for governments to choose inaction on air pollution.

Computer models, satellites and monitoring stations on the ground help us clearly understand the scale of the air pollution problem. Sensor networks span cities and nations and, in many places, anyone with an internet connection can check pollution levels in real time. We can track pollution from space, meaning major polluters and unregulated operations have nowhere to hide.

02:07

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Findings tell us that air quality is deteriorating for half the world’s population. There have been air quality improvements in high-income regions since the 1990s, but for people living elsewhere – especially in Central and South Asia and large parts of Africa – exposure has worsened. There should be no doubt in the minds of policymakers that urgent action is needed.

At the same time that our understanding of air pollution is improving, so is our knowledge of the solutions. In 2021, we no longer need to rely on burning dirty fossil fuels as humans have done for centuries.

It is more cost-effective to develop renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, almost everywhere than to construct power plants that use fossil fuels. The cost of generating renewable energy is falling, with the generating cost of large-scale solar plunging 85 per cent between 2010 and 2020. As a result, building new wind and solar capacity is increasingly cheaper than continued operation of existing coal power stations.

Investors have caught onto the trend, and many are scrapping fossil fuel projects in favour of renewables. India’s largest coal producer is “aggressively” pursuing ventures in solar energy, and Bangladesh has cancelled new coal power plant developments for financial reasons.

01:33

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Economies that are not reliant on fossil fuels can see environmental and health benefits on several fronts. The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasises that rapid reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would also drive air quality improvements. In other words, efforts to address climate change will lead to cleaner air and improved health.

Government policy can help drive the transition to address climate and air pollution, yet many governments around the world have inadequate legislation. The European Union’s air quality standards remain stubbornly lax, despite promises made as early as 1999 to adopt fine particulate matter targets in line with WHO recommendations. As recently as 2017, at least 57 nations had no national air quality standards.

We know what is needed from governments to improve air quality and save lives. Examples of effective air quality policy contain some common ingredients – they establish standards and accountability, and they are backed by law. Air quality standards should have mechanisms in place that can achieve change.

They also need public and political support, which is why communication and transparency are important. Finally, they need to be holistic and resist the temptation to focus on one area over another. The principle of continuous improvement ensures nothing is overlooked.

07:58

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The stakes could not be higher. Nine months ago, Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, a nine-year-old girl who died following an asthma attack in London, became the first person in Britain to have air pollution listed as their cause of death. In reality, millions worldwide share her fate.

This time, with the WHO’s updated guidance, governments must take note, implement targets and enforce strategies so that we are not left waiting years for clean air and can avoid further tragedies.

We have the tools to build a system that meets our needs without damaging our health and polluting the shared resource that is our air. The only remaining barrier to safe, breathable air is one of political will.

Dr Aidan Farrow is an air pollution scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories, based at the University of Exeter in the UK

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