99% of the world’s population breathe air which exceeds the WHO’s guideline safe limits. The Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) has found that countries in the Global South are better at incorporating air quality considerations into their climate plans, however, two European countries, Albania and Moldova, lead the pack in the West, citing the impact of poor air quality on cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, the EU Green Deal for the Western Balkans includes climate action alongside fighting air pollution, while sector-specific measures are also mentioned for agriculture and waste. Other European countries, including the European Union as a whole, can be found further down the rankings.
The Clean Air NDC Scorecard confirms the human cost of delaying the inevitable phase-out of fossil fuels, and it is crucial for G20 countries to embed air quality considerations into their NDCs. Indonesia and Saudi Arabia are lowest on the scorecard with one and zero points respectively. A new study finds that G20 countries are failing to integrate air pollution into their climate plans, and the authors want that fixed at COP28.
Colombia and Mali top the GCHA’s Clean Air NDC rankings, scoring 12 out of a possible 15 points. Colombia acknowledges the importance of protecting respiratory health through air quality action and sets a goal to cut black carbon by 40%. Mali also notes the adverse health impacts of black carbon and that PM2.5 can lead to cardiovascular and respiratory issues. Its NDCs mention a price tag to reduce air and water pollution linked to pesticides and states that improvements in air quality could avoid 2.4 million premature deaths by 2030.
Air pollution mortality in Mali is above 80 deaths per 100,000 people, indicating the need for increased finance to help these nations put their air-purifying plans into action. Air quality groups have written to COP28 President Dr. Al Jaber, calling on him to focus on air pollution during the climate summit.