Solving the Asian air pollution crisis

A new report by UN Environment identifies and proposes 25 clean air measures that can positively impact human health, crop yields, climate change and socio-economic development, as well as contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Implementing these measures could help 1 billion people in Asia to breathe cleaner air by 2030 and reduce global warming by a third of a degree Celsius by 2050.

Approximately 7 million people worldwide die prematurely each year from air pollution related diseases, with about 4 million of these deaths occurring in Asia-Pacific. The reductions in outdoor air pollution from the 25 measures could reduce premature mortality in the region by one third, and help avoid about 2 million premature deaths from indoor air pollution. Moreover, implementing the 25 measures would result in a 20 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide and a 45 per cent reduction in methane emissions, preventing up to a third of a degree Celsius in global warming. Resulting reductions in ground-level ozone would reduce crop losses by 45 per cent for maize, rice, soy and wheat combined.

The report “Air pollution in Asia and the Pacific: science-based solutions” can be downloaded from: https://www.sei.org/publications/air-pollution-asia-pacific-science-solu...