The world marked the fifth annual International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies with heightened calls for investment in clean air solutions now, as air pollution increasingly becomes a menace. Air pollution is said to cause an increasing public health, environmental, and economic harm. As cited more than 99 percent of humanity is now breathing polluted air, leading to more than 8 million annual deaths, including more than 700,000 children under five.

Dirty air as evidenced disproportionately affects more vulnerable populations such as women, children, and older people. Air pollution has soared to become the second leading risk factor for early death globally, overtaking tobacco for adults and second only to malnutrition for children under five. 

According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, air pollution is not only increasing its killing toll on humanity but it’s also choking economies and heating our planet, adding fuel to the fire of the climate crisis.

“Investing in clean air requires actions by both government and businesses to phase out fossil fuels, strengthen air quality monitoring, enforce air quality standards, boost renewable energy, transition to clean cooking, build sustainable transport and sustainable waste management systems, clean up supply chains, and reduce harmful emissions, including methane,” the UN Secretary-General said.

Despite the already high and still rising economic, environmental, and existential impact of air pollution, which each year costs the world $8.1 trillion in health damages alone, less than 1 percent of international development funding is dedicated to tackling it.

Th marking of Clean Air Day led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), this year’s theme focused on amplifying global calls to Invest in #CleanAirNow to ensure a healthier and more prosperous future for people and the planet.

Ahead of Clean Air Day, the UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) launched AQMx, a global air quality management platform, on 5 September in response to calls from countries for greater regional knowledge sharing and action on improving air quality that led to a resolution at this year’s UN Environment Assembly(UNEA-6) talks.

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen emphasized that it is the right of every human to breathe clean air as she called for greater investment in air pollution solutions in all societies, and an end to violation of of air protection.

“We are asking for strong funding through redirecting fossil fuel subsidies, through grants or microloans for cleaner cooking technologies, and serious private sector engagement and investment. We are asking for collective action, from international development initiatives to individuals that can make small lifestyle changes,” she added.

Director Andersen further asked the nations, regions, and cities to establish robust air quality standards by backing renewable energy and sustainable transport, to hold the industry to account with strict emission standards, and to integrate air quality into climate action.

Events worldwide marked the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies: South Africa held a two-day conference, and UNEP supported a webinar highlighting how African cities can avoid the open burning of waste. There were high-level discussions in Asia featuring youth voices from across the continent, and a celebration on the site of a former steel mill in Beijing that was transformed into an outdoor Olympic Games area to tackle air pollution.

In Latin America, UNEP and Wikimedia held an editing workshop to improve public information on air pollution. In North America, the CCAC, UNEP, and the World Resources Institute hosted a Clean Air Day event that featured speakers from NASA, the U.S. and U.K. governments, and the World Bank.

The good news is that air pollution is preventable, and people around the world are stepping up to address the crisis. Proving that change is possible, some cities have slashed air pollution levels, while countries have committed to reducing methane – a potent air pollutant also driving global warming – through the Global Methane Pledge and developed integrated plans to comprehensively tackle air pollution.

A 20 percent decrease in just one common pollutant, PM2.5, could lead to a 16 percent jump in employment growth and a 33 percent jump in productivity while reducing methane emissions could save between $4 billion and USD 33 billion by halving crop losses by 2050. Cutting superpollutants could further limit temperature rise and protect food security by preventing up to 0.5°C of warming by 2050.

To limit harm from unclean air, Governments can, among other measures, set and implement stricter air quality standards, invest in air quality monitoring to identify and track pollution hotspots, build institutional capacity to address air pollution and integrate clean air measures into national policies and plans. Businesses should invest in clean technologies and practices that reduce emissions assess their air pollution footprint and make clean air a core aspect of their business planning.

Air pollution knows no borders, and everyone has to protect our atmosphere and a right to inhale healthy air. By working across all regions, sectors, and societies, and investing in cleaning up our air we can collectively breathe easier for generations to come.