Millions of people die every year from causes related to air pollution. Investing in combating air pollution saves lives and strengthens economies Climate and environment
Every year, 7 million people die worldwide from causes related to air pollution. This is what the World Health Organization (WHO) reminds us on the occasion of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, which is celebrated on September 7.
And the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) emphasizes that air pollution is a huge burden not only on public health, but also on the ecosystem, the climate and, ultimately, the economy.
40 years of cooperation between the parties to the ECE Air Convention has led to significant results: significant reductions in emissions (by 50-80 percent since 1990 in the European region and North America) and 600,000 lives saved annually.
However, many challenges remain: a 2022 report on the effectiveness of the Convention’s latest protocol, the Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone, found that while emissions had been reduced, air pollution still caused significant damage to human health, ecosystems and materials. In 2023, the Parties to the Convention therefore took a groundbreaking decision to revise the protocol, which is expected to strengthen efforts to reduce air pollution in the region.
The Cost of Inaction
The latest studies on the “cost of inaction” on air pollution under the Convention have shown the importance of investing in tackling the phenomenon. The average cost of an optimal air pollution abatement strategy is estimated at 0.01–0.02 percent of GDP, with the current monetary value of damage to health, ecosystems and the economy corresponding to more than 5 percent of GDP in almost half of the 56 countries in the European and North American region. In at least 6 countries, the damage amounts to more than 10 percent of GDP.
Economic losses are mainly due to reduced life expectancy, costs of treating diseases (e.g. hospitalization, sick leave, drug costs), and damage to ecosystems.
This means, the EEC emphasizes, that more active measures to combat air pollution pay off in saving lives and financial resources, and calls for investment in appropriate measures.
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