International Clean Air Day for blue skies
September 7 marks International Clean Air Day for Blue Skies.
Established in 2019 by the UN General Assembly, this day aims to raise awareness of the problem of air quality, promoting initiatives and actions to improve it.
UN (United Nations) Secretary-General António Guterres outlined guidelines to combat air pollution, stressing that “nations have recognized the universal right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.”
Among the human rights, the UN secretary included clean air, a stable climate and healthy nature.
Air pollution poses one of the greatest threats to our Planet and our health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 99% of the world is breathing polluted air that causes 7 million premature deaths each year.
When people are exposed to air pollution and extreme heat, the risk of death increases by about 20 percent. In fact, a recent study published in the journal Circulation (American Heart Association), showed that the combination of above-average temperatures and PM 2.5 particulate pollution could double the risk of death from heart attack.
Health and economic impacts
According to the World Bank’s analysis in the report Clearing the Air, the health damages resulting from continuous exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are steadily eroding global wealth. The total health cost consistently ranges between 5% and 6.1% of global GDP each year, translating to an annual economic burden of between 6 and 8.1 trillion dollars.
This economic burden directly reflects the toll on human lives measured by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) through its “State of Global Air” assessments. Air pollution, combining exposure in outdoor and indoor environments, causes between 7.9 and 8.1 million premature deaths each year. This figure ranks air pollution as the second leading risk factor for death worldwide, placing it just behind high blood pressure and surpassing other major public health risks.
The direct correlation between environmental degradation, healthcare spending, and the loss of human capital demonstrates how closely air quality is linked to macroeconomic stability. Reducing fine particulate matter is therefore not only an environmental priority but also one of the most urgent financial and social levers for safeguarding global health and economic development.
An important message
Poor air quality is a global challenge in the context of sustainable development, particularly for cities and urban areas in developing countries, with air pollution levels exceeding the limits set by WHO air quality guidelines.
Together we must ensure that the message of International Clean Air Day for Blue Skies becomes a call for global action that leads to long-term changes to reduce air pollution and keep people and the planet healthy and safe.
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