UNIS/SGSM/1429
3 September 2024
Ninety-nine per cent of humanity breathes polluted air – leading to an estimated 8 million premature deaths – including more than 700,000 children under five.
Pollution is also choking economies and heating up our planet, adding fuel to the fire of the climate crisis. And it disproportionally affects those most vulnerable in society, including women, children, and older persons.
Yet pollution is a silent killer that can be stopped.
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.
It is also critical to put a price on carbon.
At the same time, development organizations, financial institutions and philanthropies can redirect financial capital behind clean air technologies to tackle the triple planetary crisis.
Above all, we must work together at the regional and global levels.
Investing in clean air saves lives, combats climate change, strengthens economies, builds fairer societies, and advances the Sustainable Development Goals.
On International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, let’s invest now so we can breathe easy knowing we are securing a healthier planet for all.
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"As the world renews itself this spring, let us remember that every new year, and every day, is a chance for a new start; a chance to do things differently; an opportunity to build a better world." — António Guterres
"Earth hour is about solidarity, hope, and the power of collective action. Every year, millions of people turn off the lights to illuminate the need for climate action. Today I ask that you are one of them." — António Guterres
"The theme of this year’s World Water Day reminds us of a cold, hard truth: glacier preservation is essential for security, prosperity, and justice." — António Guterres
"The poison of racism continues to infect our world – a toxic legacy of historic enslavement, colonialism and discrimination. It corrupts communities, blocks opportunities, and ruins lives, eroding the very foundations of dignity, equality and justice." — António Guterres
