Air pollution causes the death of one in 10 people worldwide, which confirms the significant impact of air quality on human health and the need to take effective measures to provide clean air for humans and other living organisms, according to Our World in Data. But, given the importance of air pollution, how does it relate to climate negotiations?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines air pollution as any biological, physical, or chemical factor that occurs in the indoor or outdoor environment and ultimately modifies the natural properties of the air.
According to the organization, there is a close link between air pollution and climate change, as pollutants emitted into the atmosphere, such as methane and other gases, contribute to global warming, which affects the Earth's climate, human health, and ecosystems. On the other hand, climate change also exacerbates the problem of air pollution.
“Climate change is exacerbating air pollution, including through increased pollen levels, which cause allergic asthma, dust storms due to low rainfall, smoke from wildfires, and degradation of organic waste and sewage, leading to short-term peaks in air pollution,” said Jess Beagley, Policy Lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance.
Beagley told (The Earth Call) that "Other pollutants chemically react through exposure to sunlight to form ground-level (or tropospheric) ozone, which is extremely harmful to health."
It was crucial to include air pollution in climate talks due to the severe damage it causes to the climate, as demonstrated during the 28th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) at Expo Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in 2023.
The conference resulted in the signing of the UAE COP28 Climate and Health Declaration. It has more than 150 parties. The declaration took into account the importance of working on the problem of air pollution to solve the climate crisis and avoid the health risks associated with it.
Azerbaijan will host COP29 from November 11 to 22, 2024, with a health day on its agenda. During the "financial conference of the parties," we expect the parties to secure funding to address the issue of air pollution, which is one of the effects and causes of climate change. We emphasize the crucial role of funding in resolving the air pollution issue.
The policy leader at the Global Climate and Health Alliance explained that "according to the 2023 report issued by the Clean Air Fund, there has been an explicit commitment to targeting air pollution over the past six years ($17.3 billion) and 2% of international public climate finance ($11.6 billion) for which data was available."
On the other hand, an American study found that every dollar spent on combating air pollution brings economic benefits estimated at $30.
Solving air pollution deeply intertwines with climate action. "In some countries, the co-benefits of reduced air pollution are equivalent to or greater than the cost of climate action to limit temperature rise to 1.5–2°C," Shweta Narayan, Campaign Lead, Global Climate and Health Alliance, told (The Earth Call).
On the conference's final day, COP28 called for the urgent identification of the measures necessary to move away from fossil fuels, which are a major cause of climate change and its effects, such as air pollution.
