Sustainable Development: Reducing Air Pollution, Saving Our Planet

Air pollution is a pressing global issue, causing millions of deaths annually and significantly impacting health and environmental sustainability. The World Health Organization (WHO) plays a pivotal role in addressing this crisis by providing technical support and expertise to member states. WHO's efforts are closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which encompass 17 interconnected targets addressing poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. Air pollution is intrinsically linked to these goals, and mitigating it becomes essential to achieving sustainable development. WHO employs various methods, including ground measurements, satellite data, and models, to monitor and track progress toward crucial SDGs related to health, energy, and urban development. The organization's work underscores the urgent need for collaborative action to tackle air pollution and its detrimental effects on human well-being and the planet.

Clean air is essential for good health and well-being (SDG 3)

Clean air is essential for good health and well-being, which is recognised as a key Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 3). Air pollution is a major global health issue, causing millions of premature deaths each year, primarily through respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. It also has significant impacts on mental health. As such, addressing air pollution is a critical component of achieving the SDGs.

WHO monitors air pollution exposure levels and their health impacts at the national, regional, and global levels, including deaths and disease-adjusted life years (DALYs). This data is essential for official reporting, such as world health statistics and the SDGs. WHO also provides technical support to member states, offering guidance, tools, and advice on health issues related to air pollution sources.

Air pollution is linked to several basic needs and is inherently connected to many SDGs. For example, household air pollution is often caused by cooking, heating, or lighting practices, particularly in developing countries, where solid fuels are burned. This exposure disproportionately affects women and children, contributing to inequality (SDG 10) and poor health outcomes (SDG 3). Additionally, air pollution is closely tied to climate change, as they share the root cause of human emissions (SDG 13).

To improve air quality and achieve SDG 3, integrated policies are necessary. These policies should aim for universal energy access (SDG 7), climate change mitigation (SDG 13), and reduced air pollution (SDG 3). By investing in clean air projects, funders can effectively support multiple SDGs simultaneously. For instance, improving waste management practices (SDG 12) can significantly reduce air pollution from waste burning. Similarly, adopting cleaner technologies in industries (SDG 9) can improve resource efficiency and reduce harmful emissions.

In conclusion, clean air is vital for good health and well-being, and addressing air pollution is a complex issue intertwined with many SDGs. By targeting specific goals, such as improving access to clean energy, promoting sustainable waste management practices, and empowering women with financial rights and technology, significant progress can be made towards achieving SDG 3 and ensuring good health and well-being for all.

Reducing air pollution inequalities within and among countries (SDG 10)

Air pollution is a pressing issue that affects people worldwide, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases that contribute significantly to global mortality rates. It is linked with many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While there are three specific indicators for reducing air pollution in the formal system of SDG indicators, improving air quality supports the achievement of numerous other goals.

SDG 10, which aims to reduce inequalities within and among countries, is closely tied to reducing air pollution inequalities. Air pollution disproportionately affects marginalized communities, women, and children, particularly in developing nations. This inequality in exposure to harmful particles is often due to unequal access to clean and affordable energy.

To address these inequalities, it is crucial to target SDG 7, which focuses on ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. By providing cleaner and more sustainable energy sources for cooking, heating, and lighting, we can significantly reduce household air pollution, which primarily arises from the combustion of solid fuels. This transition to clean and renewable energy will not only save lives, especially those of women and children, but also boost economic development, aligning with the goal of reducing inequalities.

Furthermore, achieving SDG 10 in the context of air pollution requires addressing the unequal distribution of green infrastructure. While green infrastructure has the potential to reduce overall air pollution, unequal access can limit its benefits for marginalized communities. Collaborative efforts between governments, industries, and communities are essential to ensuring that the positive impacts of green infrastructure are felt by all.

Additionally, reducing air pollution inequalities within and among countries is closely linked to waste management practices. Ineffective waste management, particularly in marginalized communities, can lead to harmful emissions from waste burning, exacerbating air pollution. By improving waste management practices and promoting sustainable waste disposal methods, inequalities in air quality can be diminished. This aligns with Target 12.4 of SDG 12, which emphasizes improving the management of chemicals and waste to reduce harmful emissions.

Improving air quality in cities (SDG 11)

Air pollution is a pressing issue that poses a significant threat to public health, the climate, and the environment. It is closely tied to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which encompass 17 interconnected goals addressing poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation while promoting sustainable development. Among these goals is SDG 11, which focuses on making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Improving air quality in cities is a crucial aspect of achieving SDG 11. Urban areas often experience poor air quality due to a combination of factors, primarily human activities and geographical features. The high concentration of vehicles, industrial facilities, and construction projects significantly contributes to emissions and air pollution. As a result, 83% of high-income cities and 99% of low-income cities that monitor air quality exceed the recommended levels set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

To address this issue, WHO leverages its technical expertise to monitor and track progress toward SDG 11. They utilize various data sources, including national reference-grade ground measurements, satellite data, chemical transport models, and population information, to assess annual air pollution levels in cities. This information is crucial for understanding the impact of household and ambient air pollution on health outcomes.

One key initiative contributing to SDG 11 is the Breathe Cities project by the Clean Air Fund, C40 Cities, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. This partnership supports cities worldwide in reducing air pollution and climate emissions by bringing together data, communities, and decision-makers. Additionally, the Clean Air Fund emphasizes the importance of improving mobility and public transport to achieve cleaner air in cities. They highlight that only half of the world's urban population has convenient access to public transportation, and the lack of adequate infrastructure can hinder active commuting, such as walking and cycling.

To make substantial progress toward SDG 11, a coordinated approach that integrates clean air initiatives with sustainable urban development is essential. This includes implementing well-planned transport systems, designing walkable streets, and incorporating green spaces into city planning. By addressing air pollution and creating sustainable cities, there are multiple benefits for mobility, health, equity, safety, and climate. Additionally, smarter funding for projects that improve air quality can have a significant positive impact on human health, economic development, and climate mitigation, contributing to the achievement of multiple SDGs simultaneously.

Climate action and clean energy solutions (SDG 7 and 13)

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 and 13 are closely linked to air pollution and its mitigation. SDG 7 focuses on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all, while SDG 13 emphasizes the urgent need to combat climate change and its impacts.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

SDG 7 aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable modern energy services. This includes increasing the share of renewable sources in total energy consumption, improving energy efficiency, and promoting access to clean cooking fuels and technologies. According to the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the global share of renewable sources in total final energy consumption stood at 18.7% in 2021, with the electricity sector leading the way at 28.2%. However, progress in the heat and transport sectors has been insufficient, highlighting the need for stronger conservation measures and policy actions.

International support for clean energy in developing countries has been decreasing, with a drop in financial flows from $26.4 billion in 2017 to $10.8 billion in 2021. Despite this, developing countries achieved a record installation of 268 watts per capita of renewable capacity in 2021, demonstrating accelerating growth in this sector.

WHO's global household energy database tracks energy use for cooking, heating, and lighting, providing valuable insights for measuring progress toward achieving SDG 7.

SDG 13: Climate Action

SDG 13 calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. According to the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the number of disaster-related deaths and missing persons per 100,000 population has nearly halved from 1.62 in 2005-2014 to 0.82 in 2013-2022. However, the absolute number remains high, with 42,553 mortalities each year from disasters worldwide between 2013 and 2022.

Climate finance provided by developed countries to support developing nations has increased at a compound rate of 5% from 2015 to 2020, reaching $41 billion. However, the goal of $100 billion per year has not yet been met as of 2021. To limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, net-zero carbon dioxide emissions must be achieved by around 2050, underscoring the urgency of climate action.

WHO plays a crucial role in monitoring exposure levels and health impacts of air pollution, both from ambient and household sources, providing essential data for SDG reporting and informing climate action strategies.

Interlinkages between SDG 7 and 13

SDG 7 and 13 are closely interconnected, as progress in one area benefits the other. Strategies to improve air quality interact directly with climate change mitigation targets and access to clean energy services. Integrated policies that simultaneously address energy access, climate change, and air quality can lead to substantial co-benefits. For example, by 2040, emissions of main pollutants are projected to decrease by 60-80%, preventing two million deaths from ambient and household air pollution combined.

However, current policies in key emitting sectors are insufficient, and without holistic and systemic policy changes, multiple sustainability goals will likely not be met within the next two decades.

The role of green infrastructure in reducing air pollution

The World Health Organization (WHO) works towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that address poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, and promote sustainable development worldwide. Air pollution is linked with many of these goals, and strategies aiming at improved air quality interact directly with climate mitigation targets, access to clean energy services, waste management, and other aspects of socioeconomic development.

Green infrastructure (GI) is an increasingly promoted method for air pollution mitigation in urban areas. GI includes street and park trees, green walls, green roofs, and other means of introducing vegetation into the urban landscape. GI helps to reduce exposure to urban air pollution by creating cleaner spaces where people prefer to spend time and choose to walk or cycle instead of driving. It also encourages active transport, such as walking and cycling, further reducing emissions. Additionally, GI provides multiple benefits, including increased biodiversity, urban resilience to extreme weather, mental and physical health benefits, and attractive placemaking for communities and businesses.

While GI does not play an explicit role in reducing emissions, it helps to extend the distance between sources and receptors of pollution, thereby reducing concentrations at a given receptor. This can be achieved by physically separating sources and receptors, such as through the use of hedges to separate traffic from pedestrians. GI can also be strategically used as vegetation barriers in urban canyons to protect people from pollution at the kerbside.

The value of GI in urban air quality lies in its ability to control the distribution of pollution by enhancing or reducing its dispersion close to its source. Pollutants deposit more efficiently onto vegetation than onto smoother, artificial surfaces. However, it is important to note that the fraction of pollution removed by vegetation in the urban environment is typically just a few percent due to the small scale of realistic planting schemes and the slow rate of transfer of pollution particles to leaf surfaces.

Overall, the use of GI is a valuable tool in the mitigation of air pollution in urban areas, providing multiple environmental, social, and economic benefits.

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