Global Clean Air

Six ways to ramp up climate and clean air action in 2025

Six ways to ramp up climate and clean air action in 2025

2024 has been a significant year for the climate and air pollution crisis, both in terms of the mounting impacts and increased action. Extreme climate events like hurricanes and wildfires devastated communities around the world, forcing the issue to the forefront of public consciousness. Meanwhile countries, companies and communities took some noteworthy actions to track and reduce emissions, including major commitments made at COP28 to cut methane followed by the launch of MethaneSAT and the first UN resolution on clean air.

Climate change and air pollution are dual challenges that severely impact our health and as such must be solved together.

EDF together with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) convened cross-sector clean air leaders to discuss how we can take an integrated approach to cutting greenhouse gases and air pollutants to protect human health. Together, we took stock of how far we’ve come, assessed some hard truths and identified the biggest opportunities in front of us to secure meaningful wins. The conversation captured some important learnings in the struggle to accelerate clean air and climate action that help point towards a pathway forward. Here are six takeaways.

1. Investments in data and research are paying off

Dr. Maria Neira, Director of the Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of Health Department of the World Health Organization, shared how she has been encouraged by a shift in the recent global pollution dialogue away from merely describing the problem and toward building solutions. We know that research and monitoring efforts, some of which EDF has led, have been essential to understanding the source and impacts of pollution and to identifying solutions. The dialogue shift described by Dr. Neira suggests those efforts are starting to pay off as governments and companies are using pollution insights to identify solutions.

2. Cutting emissions takes resources and capacity

Global air pollution mitigation is severely underfunded, a crucial issue explored more below. But Martina Otto, head of UNEP’s CCAC, emphasized that governments need technical assistance as much as funding to help them set-up and maintain air quality monitoring systems that can enable effective enforcement, track clean air actions and identify new pollution sources.

This was echoed by Brazil’s National Secretary of Urban Environment, Adalberto Maluf, who outlined his country’s current efforts to implement air pollution standards including upgrading the national air quality monitoring network. The CCAC’s Clean Air Flagship, launched earlier this year, is a meaningful step toward meeting this need by mobilizing funds and fostering a community of practice where countries can learn from each other and share resources through the Air Quality Management Exchange.

3. We need to get better at tailoring our messaging

During her remarks, Valerie Hickey, Global Director for Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy at the World Bank, called for a fresh look at how we communicate about air pollution and its health risks, especially to those most affected. She gave an example of a farmer in Northern India who continues to engage in agricultural burning in full knowledge of the health risks, because he also knows that without it, he couldn’t earn enough to sustain his family.

In a second example, Hickey described a health minister who is told that every $1 she invests in cleaner air returns $9 in health benefits. While the Minister knows this is true in the long term, she has several more urgent needs where the $1 she has can return $2 or $3 right away. Throw in the pressure to deliver before a coming election—what would you do? Making the case for avoided loss doesn’t often move the policy or political decision maker. “We have to find the message that meets the person we’re speaking to,” concluded Hickey.

4. Companies are stepping up to track their emissions and implement reduction plans. More need to follow suit.

Many countries and some companies are developing greenhouse gas inventories to support plans to cut emissions and meet net zero goals. But few have integrated air pollutants into these assessments to address the tradeoffs and synergies. That’s why SEI created a guide to help companies track climate and air pollution emissions across their supply chains and design plans to reduce them. Research Associate in the Air Pollution Group, Eleni Michalopoulou, explained how SEI is partnering with Inter IKEA group, a member of the World Economic Forum’s Alliance for Clean Air, to do just that.

With SEI’s help, IKEA recently established a goal and detailed plan to reduce the company’s climate emissions by 50% by 2030. According to IKEA’s Head of Climate and Air Quality, Sriram Rajagopal, the company is evaluating its entire supply chain, from raw materials to product production, shipping and even end of life disposal. He says IKEA is on track to meet its goal and maybe even exceed it on key air pollutants such as PM2.5, black carbon, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SOx).

5. Some countries have already made great strides, and more are stepping up

Angela Churie Kallhauge, EDF’s Executive Vice President for Impact, opened the event by describing the immense progress that the city of Beijing has made on air pollution in recent years, going from smog to blue skies in little more than a decade. This example demonstrates the potential to cut pollution and drastically improve health in a short time frame as we continue to decarbonize. This is a differentiator for clean air action that our community can do a better job to highlight for leaders and funders.

We also learned about how Brazil has been taking significant steps to cut pollution. Sec. Maluf shared how the country recently approved its first ever national air quality program, which will commission a detailed emissions inventory, improve its national monitoring network and tighten air quality standards. EDF is assisting Brazil’s government in this effort by advising on the new standards, developing an integrated approach to managing climate and air pollutants and expanding our Air Tracker tool to its two largest cities, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

6. Air quality funding isn’t likely to surge any time soon – it’s time to get creative

Jane Burston, CEO of the Clean Air Fund (CAF) brought another dose of reality to the conversation by sharing the results of CAF’s latest State of Global Air Quality Funding Report: Global financing for air quality projects saw a tiny increase in recent years, but remains dismally low at about 1% of global development and 2% of public climate funds. Burston echoed an important point made by Hickey from the World Bank: Air quality is unlikely to see a dramatic funding boost anytime soon, so we must find more creative ways to reallocate or repurpose money that’s already available to maximize benefits for clean air, climate and health. Both speakers shared a few thoughts for how to do this, including repurposing agricultural subsidies, providing seed funding to de-risk private sector investments, and strengthening our case to the philanthropic sector.

What’s next: This conversation brought a grounded optimism to the real progress we can make to tackle the global air pollution crisis. While low funding remains our greatest challenge, our messaging about the scope and urgency of the problem has broken through to countries, communities and increasingly companies around the world. Now it is incumbent upon us to translate what we know into meaningful, tailored stories and to focus on metric-driven solutions that can help redirect existing resources to deliver emissions reductions. By taking these next steps while approaching air pollution and climate change as the interrelated problems that they are, we can deliver tangible health benefits to a more people than ever in the coming critical years.

Also posted in Academic, Brazil, China, Climate, Concerned Citizen, Corporate Sustainability Professional, Energy, Environmental Justice, Government Official/Policymaker, Homepage, India, Methane, Monitoring, Public Health/Environmental Official, Science, USA / Comments are closed

Video: EDF and partners release report finding one in three New Jersey residents lives near a mega-warehouse


What’s new: EDF released a new report tracing the growth of mega-warehouses and associated diesel truck pollution in New Jersey, building upon recent research in New York and Illinois. The launch event, held on June 18 and co-hosted by the Coalition for Healthy Ports NY/NJ, included a report overview from EDF, remarks by two state legislators and personal accounts from advocates all over the state (view the full recording above). The report found roughly one in three New Jersey residents lives within half a mile of a large warehouse of at least 50,000 square feet—the highest rate among states examined so far. Here are other key findings:

  • The report identified 3,034 warehouses in the state of New Jersey. 56% of those exceed 100,000 square feet (about the size of a standard big box retailer). Together, they generate at least 380,000 truck trips every day.
  • These warehouses collectively comprise 527 million square feet – up 35% in the last two decades.
  • 2.7 million people – about one in three – live within a half mile of these warehouses. Some 178,000 are under age five and 350,000 are over age 64.
  • Limited English populations are 1.9 times more likely to live within half a mile of these warehouses than expected, compared to statewide demographics. This group composes 0.02% of the total state population and 0.04% of warehouse neighbors.
  • Hispanic/Latino populations are 1.8 times more likely to live within half a mile of these warehouses than expected, compared to statewide demographics. This group composes 20.2% of the total state population and 36.7% of warehouse neighbors.
  • Low-income populations are 1.5 times more likely to live within half a mile of these warehouses than expected, compared to statewide demographics. This group composes 9.8% of the total state population and 14.8% of warehouse neighbors.
  • Black populations are 1.4 times more likely to live within half a mile of these warehouses than expected, compared to statewide demographics. This group composes 14.8% of the total state population and 21.1% of warehouse neighbors.
  • Indigenous American populations are 1.1 times more likely to live within half a mile of these warehouses than expected, compared to statewide demographics. This group composes 0.07% of the total state population and 0.08% of warehouse neighbors.

Why it matters: Although they play a vital role in the supply chain, diesel trucks emit significant pollution around warehouses while idling and traveling at low speeds. Regulations to protect health haven’t kept up. Research shows traffic-related air pollution increases childhood asthma risk. Asthma causes missed school days and is linked to poorer school performance. In the US, black children are nearly nine times more likely to be hospitalized and five times more likely to die from asthma compared to non-Hispanic white children. Diesel truck pollution also raises risks of preterm birth, low birth weight, dementia, heart disease, and stroke.

What’s next: policy solutions

The report arrives as state legislators consider the Warehouse and Port Pollution Reduction Act, a bill that would curb pollution at warehouses, ports and other truck attracting facilities by requiring them to implement concrete emission reduction measures. The bill would direct the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish flexible compliance options alongside permitting requirements to achieve these reductions, with higher thresholds for environmental justice communities.

Go deeper: Download the full report.

The New Jersey Warehouse Boom report builds on recent similar EDF analyses in New York and Illinois, as well as a 10-state report published in 2023. Please explore these resources to learn more.

Also posted in Academic, Climate, Community Organizer, Concerned Citizen, Energy, Environmental Justice, Government Official/Policymaker, Homepage, Monitoring, New York City, Partners, Public Health/Environmental Official, USA / Authors: / Comments are closed

New State of Global Air report shows pollution’s deadly impact

The Health Effects Institute’s new State of Global Air 2024 report finds that air pollution ranks as the second leading risk factor for death worldwide.

Photo credit: Belle Co

What’s new: The Health Effects Institute’s new State of Global Air 2024 report finds that air pollution ranks as the second leading risk factor for death, including for children under 5. Yes, you read that right. Air pollution is now the second leading risk factor for death, contributing to an estimated 8 million deaths in 2021. That’s more than deaths due to poor diet and even tobacco.

Why it matters: The report further sounds the global alarm bell on the devastating health impacts of air pollution, contributing to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It analyzes air quality data and health impacts globally and details exposure levels and related health impacts of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is associated with vehicle traffic, a major global source of both poor air pollution and greenhouse gases.

Our take: While sounding a critical alarm bell on the urgency of this issue, the report also provides insights into where to focus solutions. Here are my top takeaways:

  1. The hardest hit are the oldest and youngest. Long-term exposure to PM 2.5 contributes to diseases including heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), stroke, type 2 diabetes, lower respiratory infections and adverse birth outcomes that disproportionally impact the elderly and young. We need to target health prevention, education and emission reduction strategies to better protect these sensitive populations.
  2. There are disparities between nations. Populations from low- and middle-income countries are exposed to 1.3-4 times as much PM 2.5., and countries in South Asia and Africa face the highest disease burden. We need to direct the resources where the problem is greatest. Yet, according to the 2023 State of the Global Air Quality Funding report by the Clean Air Fund, only 1% of international development funding went towards air quality over the past 6 years. And from 2017-2021, the entire continent of Africa received only 5% of the total funding for air quality. The gravity of the air pollution health crisis demands a far deeper global investment given the tremendous health care costs of air pollution—which the World Bank has estimated at $8 trillion or 6% of global GDP.
  3. Climate change is making this worse. Many sources of air pollution also emit greenhouse gases, like tailpipe emissions from vehicles, worsening air quality as they warm the planet. Climate change intensifies droughts, contributing to severe wildfires and dust storms that increase fine particle pollution. Meanwhile, more frequent heat waves enable pollutants like nitrogen oxides to speed the formation of harmful ozone, exposure to which is increasing in many regions. The report underscores the connection between the climate crisis and its toll on human health. The connection between air pollution and climate change requires an integrated approach when assessing the benefits and costs of climate mitigation solutions, from reducing emissions from oil and gas operations to increasing public transit and switching to renewable energy sources.
  4. There is some good news. PM 2.5 levels seem to be stabilizing in some regions, and the disease burden from household air pollution has decreased. Further, there is progress in expanding the ability to measure and monitor air quality, especially in parts of the globe where little to no air quality monitoring was available on the ground. Understanding the sources and impacts of pollution at the local and regional scale is a critical step needed to better tackle harmful emissions.

The report points to progress in Senegal, South Africa, Morocco and Rwanda, where they are taking meaningful steps toward understanding local emissions and are improving their air quality monitoring networks. EDF is a partner in the Clean Air Catalyst program that is working in Nairobi, Kenya, Indore, India and Jakarta, Indonesia to expand air monitoring and management capacity and build partnerships to tackle significant sources of pollution, including that from transportation.

The State of the Global Air report is an important contribution to the global effort for clean air, providing robust analyses that indicate the severity of the problem and help inform where resources and solutions must be directed.

Air pollution is a global health crisis, and we have the solutions today that can improve the lives of millions and accelerate climate action.

Also posted in Academic, Climate, Concerned Citizen, Corporate Sustainability Professional, Energy, Environmental Justice, Government Official/Policymaker, Homepage, Monitoring, Public Health/Environmental Official, Science / Comments are closed

As UK workers return to offices, here are tips for building managers to prevent a rise in energy costs and air pollution

Following COVID-19 lockdown measures, many people went from working in offices to being unemployed or furloughed or working from home. We don’t yet know what future working behaviour looks like in the UK, but there are strong indications that many people will continue to work from home, even if there are no longer pandemic-related concerns.

New research by Future Climate for Environmental Defense Fund Europe examines how this shift could impact air pollution from heating, cooling and powering homes and offices, offering recommendations for how offices can keep emissions from rising as workers return.

Pollution from homes and offices

The pandemic has laid bare one of the by-products of modern living: the air pollution created by our day-to-day activities. Air pollution has a detrimental impact on health and is attributable to the early death of thousands of people in the UK.

Much has been said about how the lockdown-related reduction in traffic and congestion in UK towns and cities led to lower levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution. We have not heard as much about the pollution that comes from buildings – namely air pollution created by the way we heat and power our homes and businesses.

Across the UK, NO2 pollution from heating and powering buildings is one of the main sources of air pollution alongside road transport, manufacturing and construction. Proportions vary depending on where you are in the country and in some areas building emissions are the main source. For example, in central London buildings are the largest source of NO2 emissions – 10% higher than emissions from road transport.

An increase in home working

Data reveals that those working from home in the UK went up from 6% in January 2020 to 41% in April. Although many people were no longer going into offices, office energy consumption shrank by only 16% during that time.

With more people at home, the use of boilers in domestic settings also increases, resulting in higher NO2 emissions from residential buildings. The research by Future Climate estimates that NO2 pollution from the average home could increase by 3-5% on average. In London, where there is a higher proportion of home workers, the increase could be as much as 7%, which could result in higher gas bills as well.

Returning to the office

As restrictions ease and those of us who have been unable to work or have been restricted to working from home return to offices, people are looking at how we can do so safely.

Ventilation guidance – intended to make buildings safer to reduce the chance of virus transmission – could lead to a rise in energy usage if not managed well and, in turn, a rise in pollution. For example, the guidance advises facility managers to avoid energy-saving settings and to run ventilation units two hours before office use. Carbon Intelligence, sustainability experts that help companies move toward zero-carbon, estimates that these sorts of measures could increase energy demand in offices by 70-90%.

Additionally, since office energy consumption only went down slightly during lockdown measures, it is likely consumption will return to normal levels or higher – even before you consider the ventilation guidance.

Carbon Intelligence highlights short-term recommendations for facility managers to reduce heat and energy needs, operating costs and pollution, including:

  • Ensure that scheduling of heating and ventilation systems match the building’s occupancy, e.g. reducing operation during out-of-office hours.
  • Ensure that boiler combustion systems are calibrated to maximise efficiency at low firing rates during times of reduced demand.
  • In less occupied areas, consider providing comfort heating with standalone units (e.g. radiant heaters or fans) to avoid the need for central heating/cooling plant operation.

A healthier future

With many offices buildings still not back at full occupancy, this could also be a good time to think more long-term and invest in low-pollution heating systems. Heat-pumps, geo-thermal energy and solar collectors are all supported by the government’s non-domestic renewable heat incentive and have zero local emissions.

In the recovery from COVID-19, everyone wants safe ventilation and cleaner air to stay healthy. Changing dynamics likely mean more people working from home in the UK, while offices use the same or more heat and power even with fewer people. By taking short and longer-term measures to prevent a rise in air pollution, building and facilities managers can help protect people’s health.

Also posted in Corporate Sustainability Professional, London / Comments are closed