Coordinated action on clean air and climate change could generate $15 for every dollar spent

That evaluation by the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) show how Coordinated action can improve public health, strengthen the economy, and accelerate progress toward climate goals through 25 proven policy steps and reforms.

This includes using renewable energy, electric vehicles and environmentally friendly fuel sources for cooking.

This was stated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) also underlined the importance of coordinated action as increasing pollution from forest fires and heat waves threatens global efforts to improve air quality,

Make this case

The report found that combining efforts would yield greater benefits than tackling climate change and air pollution separately, as many of the same sectors and pollutants are driving both crises.

“For too long we have considered climate action a cost to be managed and air pollution a bad consequence of development,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

“This report shows otherwise: Clean air is a key driver of development, health, food and energy security, and climate stability – an asset we must invest in.”

The report – Hidden assets: Economic and health reasons for climate action and clean air – released on International Clean Air Day for blue skiescelebrated every year on September 7.

“The basis for taking action has never been clearer,” the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in his message.

“Reducing air pollution will protect health, increase productivity, and build more resilient and prosperous communities,” while “accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels is one of the fastest and most effective ways to clean the air while addressing the climate crisis.”

Benefits of investing

The report estimates that the annual benefits from implementing the 25 steps would be enormous equivalent to 2.8 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2035, 4.5 percent in 2050, and 11.4 percent in 2100.

In comparison, explicit fossil fuel subsidies accounted for 2.18 percent of global GDP in 2022, while health care spending reached 9.3 percent in 2023.

Even when non-market welfare gains are excluded, such as the value of a longer and healthier life, the measures still return about $4 for every dollar invested.

Elliott Harris, one of the independent leaders on the assessment, said the findings should change the way finance ministries and investors view clean air policy.

“A benefit-cost ratio of 15 to 1 would immediately attract capital in almost any other sector,” he said. “Each year these delays cost the world more than $1.5 trillion and we will never recover the benefits.”

Very bad impact on health

The health risks are huge. The report estimates that by 2025, exposure to human-caused outdoor air pollution, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone, is associated with 6.4 million premature deaths worldwide.

Household air pollution is linked to two million premature deaths, including around 300,000 children.

The report also examines the broader economic burden of the disease. By 2025, outdoor air pollution contributes to 5.5 million new cases of childhood asthma, two million new cases of dementia, and millions of cases of heart attack, lung disease, diabetes, stroke, and lung cancer.

By 2050, full implementation of these 25 measures could cumulatively prevent 144 million premature deaths from air pollution, including 96 million premature deaths from ambient air pollution, as well as hundreds of millions of cases of chronic disease.

Fast return

The package of measures covers six sectors: energy and fossil fuel systems, industry, transport, agriculture and food systems, household cooking and heating, and waste management.

Steps taken include renewable energy, energy efficiency, environmentally friendly cooking and heating, stronger vehicle emissions and efficiency standards, electric vehicles, low-sulphur marine fuel, reducing oil and gas leaks, improving livestock and manure management, and more efficient use of fertilizer.

Many of these actions will also reduce so-called super pollutants, including methane, black carbon, and hydrofluorocarbons, which have strong short-term impacts on the climate.

Immediate benefits

The climate benefits would be enormous. Compared to the report’s baseline scenario, Immediate implementation would halve global carbon dioxide emissions by 2050reduces methane emissions by 60 percent and reduces major air pollutants, including black carbon, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, by about 70 percent.

These steps will help avoiding about 0.34°C of global warming by 2050 and 1.4°C by 2100.

“When we modeled together, the benefits were greater than if we had done them separately,” said Simon Dietz, co-chair of the assessment and Professor of Environmental Policy at the London School of Economics.

The challenge now is implementation. The report identifies fragmented decision-making, limited law enforcement capacity, and weak government coordination as key obstacles that could delay full action by nearly eight years globally.

This requires integrated climate, air quality, health and economic planning, stronger institutions and law enforcement, and better alignment of public and private finances.