UN Environment Programme

Air

Air pollution, which kills more than 8 million people every year, is the biggest environmental health risk of our time.

Nintety-nine per cent of the world's population breathes unsafe air that fails to meet the World Health's Organization's air quality guidelines. It is the second leading risk factor for early death after high blood pressure, surpassing tobacco.

Airborne pollutants are responsible for about one third of deaths from stroke, chronic respiratory disease, and lung cancer, as well as one quarter of deaths from heart attack. Children are especially at risk: around 93% of those under 15 breathe air that harms their health and development.

Air pollution and climate change share many of the same sources - and many of the same solutions. Efforts to improve air quality can significantly accelerate climate action. The pollutants that degrade the air we breathe - such as methane, black carbon, and tropospheric ozone - not only drive global warming but also damage ecosystems, harm biodiversity, and pose serious risks to human and planetary health. Cutting them could slow the pace of climate change by up to 0.5 Celsius by 2050.

Air pollution comes from many sources: the most common are cookstoves and kerosene lamps, coal-fired power plants, vehicle emissions, industrial furnaces, wildfires, and sand and dust storms. The problem is most acute in urban areas, particularly in Africa and Asia. In low- and middle-income countries, 98 per cent of cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants fail to meet the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines. And the cost of inaction is staggering: the global economy could lose US$2.6 trillion annually by 2060.

But this crisis is preventable, and the benefits of action are clear.

The good news is that tackling air pollution can bring significant benefits for economies, human health and the climate. 

Together with a variety of partners, UNEP works with governments, businesses and individuals to tackle air pollution—by supporting cleaner fuels and vehicles, inspiring individuals and city leaders to act, strengthening laws and institutions, and developing affordable technologies to monitor air quality. And in 2024, the UN Environment Assembly passed a resolution calling for a global cooperation network. UNEP also hosts the observation of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, on September 7th. 

Find out more about UNEP’s work to improve air quality.

Further Resources

 

#BeatPollution is a UNEP campaign to stop the pervasive impact of pollution on people and the planet's health. The campaign drives rapid, large-scale and coordinated action for a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future. Campaign activities show the impact of pollution on climate, nature and biodiversity, and health, and offer a platform to inspire thriving circular economies and enable the transition to a pollution-free planet.  

FORMS OF POLLUTION

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