Kiera Jefferson
Air pollution is the single biggest environmental threat to human health, killing 8.1 million people every year—more than tobacco. It also exacerbates climate change, harms biodiversity and ecosystems, reduces crop yields and workforce productivity, and damages overall economic activity. In 2018, the total cost of air pollution was $2.9 trillion, or 3.3% of global GDP. This figure rose to $4.6 trillion in 2015, according to the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health. Despite this, clean air projects are underfunded, receiving less than 3% of international public climate finance. This is partly because air pollution is an invisible threat, but it is also due to the anti-regulatory zealots running America's executive branch, and the actions of the Trump Administration, some business people, and some government officials in the developing world who do not think that industry should be bothered with rules and regulations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Annual premature deaths due to pollution | 9 million |
| Annual cost of premature deaths and DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) due to pollution | $36.5 trillion |
| Cost to clean up the River Rhine | 50 billion Euros |
| Cost to remove and destroy PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from wastewater in Minnesota over 20 years | $14-28 billion |
| Cost to remove and destroy PFAS from municipal wastewater, depending on facility size | $2.7 million to $18 million per pound |
| Cost savings due to reduced air pollution in the US | Direct benefits exceed direct costs; improved economic welfare and growth rates due to reduced medical costs and lower absenteeism among workers |
| Reduction in national air pollutant concentrations in the US between 1990 and 2020 | 73% for carbon monoxide, 86% for lead, 61% for nitrogen dioxide, 25% for ozone, 26% for 24-hour coarse particle concentrations, 41% for annual fine particles, and 91% for sulfur dioxide |
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What You'll Learn
Cleaning up rivers: €50 billion+
While there are no precise figures on the total amount of money spent on cleaning up pollution, it is clear that pollution causes significant financial costs. According to a 2017 article, pollution causes 9 million premature deaths annually and 275 million DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) of suffering globally. The economic cost of this is estimated to be at least $36.5 trillion per year.
When it comes to cleaning up rivers specifically, the cost can be substantial. The Ocean Cleanup research commissioned by the UN indicates that 80% of plastic waste in the oceans comes from 1000 rivers. It is estimated that it would take 50 billion euros to clean up each of these rivers, for a total cost of 5000 billion euros (5 trillion euros). This massive price tag highlights the importance of preventing pollution in the first place, rather than focusing solely on cleanup efforts.
River cleanups can be organized by community groups and individuals, and they often require significant time and resources. These cleanups can involve activities such as removing litter and trash from the river and its banks, and they may also include educational components to raise awareness about the importance of keeping rivers clean. While these community-led initiatives are valuable, they are not sufficient to address the full scope of river pollution.
To effectively clean up rivers and prevent future pollution, a multi-faceted approach is necessary. This includes implementing regulations and policies to reduce industrial pollution, improving waste water treatment facilities, promoting recycling and proper waste disposal, and ensuring government involvement and enforcement of environmental standards. By addressing pollution at its source and implementing preventative measures, we can reduce the need for costly cleanup efforts and mitigate the environmental and health impacts of river pollution.
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Removing PFAS from wastewater: $14-28 billion
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmentally persistent contaminants that accumulate in wastewater from numerous sources, including industrial processes, the use of commercial products, and runoff from landfills and compost sites. PFAS are known as "'forever chemicals' because they do not break down naturally and persist in the environment for long periods.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has released a groundbreaking study on the costs of PFAS cleanup from wastewater. The report, titled "Evaluation of Current Alternatives and Estimated Cost Curves for PFAS Removal and Destruction from Municipal Wastewater, Biosolids, Landfill Leachate, and Compost Contact Water", estimates that removing and destroying PFAS from Minnesota's wastewater streams could cost between $14 billion and $28 billion over 20 years. This range is based on the required upgrades to the state's existing wastewater infrastructure and the use of current commercially available technologies to treat and destroy PFAS.
The high cost of PFAS removal is due to the need for significant technological and infrastructural improvements. PFAS can be purchased for $50-$1,000 per pound, but it costs between $2.7 million and $18 million per pound to remove and destroy it from municipal wastewater, depending on the facility size. Small wastewater treatment facilities face per-pound costs up to six times greater than large facilities due to economies of scale. The report also notes that new "short-chain" types of PFAS are more difficult and expensive to remove compared to old "long-chain" PFAS.
To address the financial burden of PFAS cleanup, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has allocated $5 billion to remediate PFAS contamination in vulnerable frontline communities. Additionally, lawsuits have been filed against major PFAS manufacturers, resulting in settlements that can be used to cover the expenses of testing, treating, and removing PFAS from wastewater. Despite these efforts, the MPCA believes that without alternative funding sources, PFAS removal from municipal wastewater will remain unaffordable.
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Clean Air Act: health benefits exceed costs
The Clean Air Act, signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970, gave the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants from fixed and mobile sources. Over the years, the Clean Air Act has undergone several amendments, with the 1990 Amendments being particularly significant.
The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 included a requirement for the EPA to conduct periodic, scientifically reviewed studies to assess the benefits and costs of the Act. These studies evaluate the impact of the Clean Air Act on public health, the economy, and the environment. The results of these studies have consistently shown that the health benefits of the Clean Air Act far exceed the costs of implementing pollution control measures.
The Second Prospective Report, issued by the EPA in March 2011, analyzed the results of the Clean Air Act from 1990 to 2020. The report found that the health benefits of emissions control programs that reduce air pollution from smokestacks and tailpipes are significant and will continue to grow over time. Specifically, the report estimated that the Clean Air Act Amendments will prevent over 230,000 early deaths in 2020 alone, with about 85% of the economic benefits attributable to reductions in premature mortality associated with lower ambient particulate matter.
The economic benefits of the Clean Air Act are also notable. The report projected a net improvement in U.S. economic growth and the economic welfare of American households due to cleaner air. This is because cleaner air leads to improved health and productivity for workers, resulting in reduced medical expenses for air pollution-related health issues and lower absenteeism rates. The beneficial economic effects of improved health and reduced medical expenses are projected to more than offset the expenditures incurred for pollution control.
In summary, the Clean Air Act has successfully reduced air pollution, improved air quality, and prevented serious health issues, with the health and economic benefits far outweighing the costs of implementing pollution control measures. These findings highlight the importance of competent management, effective regulations, and continued efforts to protect public health and the environment from the harmful effects of air pollution.
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Air pollution: 9 million premature deaths annually
Air pollution is a significant issue that affects people worldwide, causing approximately 9 million premature deaths annually. The problem is particularly acute in developing countries, where the majority of these deaths occur. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to ambient PM2.5—particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less—was responsible for around 4.2 million premature deaths in 2016, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. These particles, known as PM2.5, come from burning fossil fuels and biomass in transportation, residential homes, coal-burning power plants, industrial activities, and wildfires. They are so small that they can remain in the lungs and enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The impact of air pollution extends beyond these tragic premature deaths, as millions more people suffer from debilitating chronic diseases, placing a tremendous strain on healthcare systems, economies, and societies. In 2021, it was reported that air pollution was responsible for over 700,000 deaths of children under five years old, making it the second-leading risk factor for death globally for this age group. Additionally, indoor air pollution, particularly from cooking with polluting fuels, accounted for 500,000 child deaths, mostly in Africa and Asia.
The economic costs of air pollution are also significant. The loss to the global workforce due to premature deaths attributable to PM2.5 was valued at 225 billion US dollars in 2013. However, the overall cost is much higher when considering medical expenses, time off from work, and other societal costs associated with pollution-related illnesses.
To address this pressing issue, countries have implemented various measures to reduce air pollution and its harmful impacts. The Clean Air Act in the United States, for example, has led to significant reductions in air pollution, preventing hundreds of thousands of serious health cases annually and improving the economic welfare of American households. Sustainable mobility solutions, such as bikes, electric vehicles, public transportation, and car-sharing, are also being promoted to decrease hazardous air pollutants from fixed and mobile sources. Additionally, new cars, trucks, and non-road engines are now equipped with state-of-the-art emission control technologies, and power plants have significantly reduced emissions that cause acid rain and harm public health.
While progress is being made, more needs to be done to address air pollution and mitigate its devastating consequences. With sustained efforts and a focus on sustainable solutions, it is possible to improve air quality and protect the health and well-being of people worldwide.
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Circular finance: solving pollution problems
The world is facing a triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution of land, air, and oceans. This crisis is driven by the current linear economic model of "take-make-waste," which has led to overconsumption and ecological damage. The circular economy offers a potential solution to these problems by reducing resource use, waste, and environmental harm.
A circular economy is a system where materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting, eliminating waste and pollution. It is underpinned by a transition to renewable energy and materials, making it resilient and beneficial for business, people, and the environment.
The circular economy tackles pollution by decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources. By reducing material use, reuse, and recycling, it prevents the production of waste in the first place. This reduces pollution and its associated costs, such as medical treatments and lost productivity due to absenteeism.
Examples of Circular Economy Solutions:
- Plastics: Applying the circular economy model to plastics involves redesigning, eliminating single-use plastics, and promoting reuse. Replacing petrochemical-based plastics with bioplastics contributes to more sustainable commercial plastic life cycles.
- Textiles: In the fashion industry, a circular economy approach includes altering agricultural practices, using natural materials, increasing product durability, and promoting recycling and upcycling. This reduces the environmental and social impacts of the industry, such as the mountain of discarded clothing choking emerging economies.
- Transport: A circular economy approach to transport involves reducing resource consumption and pollution, improving the sustainability of individual modes of transport, and enhancing public transport networks to tackle global carbon emissions.
Circular Finance:
Transitioning to a circular economy requires collective action and the engagement of financial institutions. Scaling up finance for circular solutions is crucial to fighting climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. It involves addressing pollution-related financial risks, financing energy efficiency activities, and reaching climate objectives. By working with financial practitioners and institutions, organizations like UNEP FI are building capacity within the financial community to support the transition to a pollution-free economy.
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Frequently asked questions
The amount of money spent on cleaning pollution varies depending on the type of pollution and the scale of the cleanup operation. For example, removing and destroying PFAS from wastewater in Minnesota is estimated to cost between $14 billion and $28 billion over 20 years. Cleaning up a river can cost 50+ billion euros, whereas the annual cost associated with the health impacts of pollution is a minimum of $36.5 trillion globally.
The cost of cleaning pollution depends on several factors, including the type and extent of pollution, the technology required to address it, and the necessary labour and resources.
Investing in pollution cleanup can have significant economic, social, and environmental benefits. Cleaner air and water lead to improved public health, reduced medical costs, and increased economic productivity. Additionally, addressing pollution can drive innovation in sustainable technologies and create new job opportunities.
Funding pollution cleanup can be challenging due to the often-high costs involved and the responsibility of allocating funds. While the "polluter pays" principle has been ratified by over 170 nations, the implementation and enforcement of regulations vary.
Funding for pollution cleanup can come from various sources, including government initiatives, private investments, grants, and partnerships between organizations dedicated to environmental protection. In some cases, public-private collaborations are formed to address specific issues, and public awareness and education play a role in generating support and resources for cleanup efforts.
