News 1 April 2025
Check out the latest news articles, research and progress to tackle air pollution around the world.
Number of people breathing heavily polluted air can be cut in half with the right policies, says World Bank
The number of people exposed to dangerously high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution could be halved by 2040 with targeted policy action, according to a new World Bank report. The study, Accelerating Access to Clean Air on a Liveable Planet, estimates that 95% of deaths attributed to outdoor air pollution occur in low- and middle-income countries. Poor air quality accounts for a loss equivalent to nearly 5% of global GDP, due to health impacts, lost productivity, and reduced life expectancy.
The report highlights how policies that achieve multiple goals – such as supporting energy independence or reducing emissions, together with measures to reduce air pollution – can be an efficient, feasible and cost-effective solution to the problem. The estimated economic benefits of integrated air pollution management policies could be as high as $2.4 trillion by 2040.
The report outlines three priorities that policy makers can take to ensure clean air: strengthening governance, improving availability of data on air quality, and supplementing public resources with private investment.
WHO unveils global database of air quality standards
The World Health Organization (WHO) shared its 2025 Air Quality Standards database, tracking national standards for key pollutants and airborne toxics worldwide, and countries’ progress to meet them. This update revealed 17% more countries are now implementing standards for pollutants that pose a risk to human health.
Commitments to halve health harm from air pollution by 2040
The WHO and Government of Colombia convened over 700 people from over 60 countries for the Second Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health. Momentum was riding high following the unprecedented nearly 50 million people who signed a call for greater action on air pollution to protect people’s health in the weeks prior.
By the conclusion of the conference, countries, cities and organisations endorsed a global target and roadmap agreed by Ministries of Health at the WHO to reduce the health impacts of air pollution by 50% by 2040, compared to 2015.
Cities uniquely positioned to tackle air pollution
Two new Breathe Cities reports highlight the unique opportunities for cities to drive clean air action. Breathing Life into Cities explores benefits for citizens if the WHO’s new air pollution Road Map were to be implemented with a focus on cities. Findings show cleaning the air can avoid 650,000 premature deaths each year and $1 trillion in annual economic damage across 63 major cities by 2040.
Clean air, healthy and thriving communities examines how cities can tackle air quality and equity in an integrated way, supporting city government policymakers to mainstream equity and inclusion into their clean air policies from the start and across all stages of policymaking. Doing so will ensure cleaner air for residents, improving public health, as well as tackling the climate crisis and helping local communities to thrive.
Clear economic case for clean air
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated the cost of air quality regulations in the country in 2020 to be about $65 billion, and the benefits (largely due to improved health and increased worker productivity), to be around $2 trillion. With a return of over 30 to 1, clean air has been called “one of the best investments the country has ever made.”
London residents breathing cleaner air due to ULEZ
New data shows the expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) has significantly improved air quality for residents – with lower pollution levels at 99% of the city’s monitoring sites. Some of the lowest income communities are experiencing the greatest benefits – for the most deprived communities living near London’s busiest roads, there was an estimated 80% reduction in people exposed to illegal levels of pollution in 2023.
EU substantially reduces emissions
Over the past two decades, the EU has substantially reduced the emissions of four major air pollutants. While progress is promising, poor air quality remains a significant health and environmental risk in the region, and experts are pushing for more action towards the region’s zero-pollution ambition and the European Commission’s commitment to achieving sustainable prosperity.
US embassies to stop sharing air quality data
The US State Department announced it plans to shut down air quality monitoring and data sharing at 80 of its embassies and diplomatic posts abroad. In many countries, the US sensor is the only reliable source of such information.
EU’s proposed changes to corporate sustainability reporting would be a step back
The EU published its first Omnibus Simplification Package, proposing to reduce the number of companies covered by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) – which sets standards for reporting on air pollution and other environmental and social impacts. An approval of the package by European Parliament would damage the region’s commitment to robust sustainability reporting.
Cutting black carbon to save glaciers and slow climate change
Black carbon is responsible for 39% of glacier melt in the Tibetan Plateau and similarly affects the Himalayas, Alps, Andes and Rockies. It is a major reason why the Arctic is warming four times faster than other parts of the world. 2025 is designated as the International Year of Glacier Preservation, and the 21st of March was the first ever World Day of Glaciers. A range of publications from UN Water, the World Meteorological Organization and the Clean Air Fund highlighted the urgent need to save glaciers through cutting black carbon.
Further evidence on air pollution’s health effects
Scientists discovered how wildfire smoke or air pollutants could be contributing to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, causing a chemical change that disrupts normal brain cell function.
This article from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health summarises the evidence on how air pollution harms the heart, and what can be done to protect public health.