Global Clean Air

Take Back Health In Your City: WHO’s Dr. Maria Neira’s argument for reducing emissions

By Sergio Sanchez / Published: October 25, 2021

When the World Health Organization (WHO) released its new Global Air Quality guidelines earlier this month for the first time since 2005, it cited an overwhelming body of evidence showing how air pollution severely impacts health at even lower concentrations than previously understood. And while concentrations still largely exceed levels published by the WHO in 2005 for several pollutants in many areas around the world, the organization has now set more aggressive targets along with a phased approach in the hopes it can encourage countries to redouble their efforts to abate air pollution for protecting public health.

The price of inaction is clear: The burden of disease from both ambient and household air pollution exposure continues to grow. Children’s health is largely impaired by reduced long growth and function, respiratory infections and aggravated asthma resulting from breathing poor air quality. In adults, major causes of premature death attributable to air pollution are heart disease and stroke, and there is emerging evidence of diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions, among other effects. Every year, exposure to air pollution causes some 7 million premature deaths and results in the loss of millions more healthy years of life.

In a recent conversation, Dr. Maria Neira, the WHO’s Director of Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants, suggested that policymakers examine what they will gain from implementing stricter air quality standards, in addition to the consequences of inaction.

Dr. Maria Neira, World Health Organization

Health benefits of taking action

Dr. Neira argues that we should reframe our approach to focus on the multiple benefits of reducing pollution. “If the world stops burning fossil fuels, we will see an incredible benefit to public health,” Dr. Neira said. Not only could we prevent a significant percentage of chronic diseases, she says, “You could have more walking in the city. You could have more physical activity. You could take back your city.”

Dr. Neira, who wanted to be a physician since she was a child growing up in Spain, began her career as an endocrinologist, providing her a fist-hand look at the body’s feedback to endocrine disruptors like air pollution emissions. She later served as the medical director for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) in refugee camps in El Salvador and Honduras. That experience prompted her to work in public health. “I couldn’t accept the fact that I was treating patients and then sending them back into conditions that were causing diseases,” she says. “I realized I could make a bigger impact if I worked on sanitation problems or children breathing poor air.”

Slowing climate change, benefitting public health

Now, charged with the leading of the WHO prevention arm, Dr. Neira examines the multitude of factors that can influence health, including diet and the environment. She hopes that in addition to adopting stricter air quality standards, countries will begin to look more closely at the health benefits associated with combating climate change. She argues that the cost savings in health—from the reduction in chronic diseases to increased productivity—would outweigh the investments needed to end our dependence on fossil fuels. Showing that kind of positive outcome in a similar way that current models illustrate economic benefits, would be “the indicator we would dream about.”

While climate change and air pollution impact vulnerable populations more acutely, Dr. Neira notes that dirty air and its impacts are harmful across all sectors of society. “In Europe we have 400,000 deaths every year due to air pollution.” When you add the cost of related hospital visits and the loss of work days, the impacts represent an overall cost to society, she says. Cities known for higher levels of air pollution may even find themselves less attractive to businesses, if they cannot lure top talent to live with their families, she says, citing Shanghai as a prime example.

Following positive examples

Social distancing requirements for COVID-19 brought many cities like Bogota, Columbia to expand bicycling infrastructure.

Countries like Canada and those in Scandinavia are trending in the right direction because their clean air and climate policies, Dr. Neira says. She also noted that mayors with the political will to transform their cities with low emission, sustainable interventions are seeing positive results. Bogota, Colombia, and Bilbao, Spain, are examples of industrialized cities that are now becoming “a pleasure to see.” However, “national politicians need to go farther.”

Need for additional research

While the WHO cited a wealth of research in its decision to lower emissions standards, Dr. Neira says scientists still have plenty of areas for future study. “I think most of the research now needs to go to interventions,” she says. “And whether we can prove those interventions are impactful or not.” Measuring health gains from changing traffic patterns or agricultural practices could help determine which interventions countries adopt. Researchers should examine whether interventions are cost-effective, how soon their impacts can be measured and how beneficial they are to both the environment and human health. “We have to prioritize those that have the biggest public health impact in the shortest possible period of time,” she concluded.

Also posted in Climate, Health, Public Health/Environmental Official / Comments are closed

Discover what’s causing air pollution in London with this interactive map

By Elizabeth Fonseca / Published: September 7, 2021

Ever wonder where air pollution in your neighbourhood is coming from?

We’ve been working on a new Greater London map that displays detailed information on the sources of health-harming air pollution. Search for or click anywhere on the map to get a breakdown of pollution sources – for both nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) pollution – at that particular spot.

What does the map display?

The map uses data produced by Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants (CERC) using the ADMS-Urban model as part of the Breathe London pilot project.

Based on modelled data for 2019, the map:

Displays an estimate of annual average NO_x and PM₅ pollution levels in London for major different sources of pollution.
Allows users to see a calculation of the pollution that people breathe, depending on where they are in the city and separated out by source category.
Provides distinct visual ‘layers’ for more than 20 individual sources (e.g., taxis, Transport for London buses, commercial gas), as well as grouped sources (e.g., all diesel vehicles).

The modelled data, which takes into account factors like wind and weather, is available on a 10 metre grid across London and provides the annual pollution concentrations experienced at 1m above ground level.

Which sources are included?

Road transport: Cars, buses, lorries, etc. and particularly those that run on diesel fuel.
Other transport: Other means of transportation that don’t involve the road, such as planes, trains and ships.
Commercial and domestic fuel: Heating and powering of indoor spaces like our homes, offices and shops by combustion of fuels such as gas, oil and wood.
Industrial and construction: Waste management activities like energy from waste plants and ‘Non-Road Mobile Machinery,’ i.e., construction sites and machines like diggers, excavators and diesel generators.
Miscellaneous: Other smaller sources like sewage treatment and smaller household sources
Background: Pollution produced outside of London that has been blown in by the wind.

Pollution health impacts

The map displays two pollutants: NO_x and PM_2.5. NO_x are a sum of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) which, along with PM_2.5, are the main air pollutants of concern in London. They are harmful to human health and are associated with adverse health outcomes like asthma, strokes and cancer.

London also has emissions inventories for NO_x and PM_2.5, meaning there is a detailed list of all the activities contributing to these pollutants across the city. The model that is behind the dataset requires these emission inventories.

This is the first time that modelled pollution sources data has been displayed in this detail across Greater London on an interactive public map. With a better understanding of which activities are causing pollution and where, leaders and communities can develop targeted solutions that clean the air and protect people’s health.

Please see here for a recorded demo on how to use the map, explain how the data was calculated and answer your questions.

Also posted in London, UK / Comments are closed

How integrated transport solutions can maximize health and climate benefits

By Sergio Sanchez / Published: August 18, 2021

We are facing an epic twin challenge: climate change and the air pollution crisis.

One way we can confront this challenge is by approaching transport solutions with both a climate and clean air lens – simultaneously targeting multiple pollutants that warm the planet and harm our health.

Transport, health and climate

Transport is one of the main sources of air pollution around the world, with direct effects on mortality as well as on respiratory and cardiovascular disease. These effects disproportionately impact vulnerable populations like children, the elderly and those with preexisting conditions. For example, a recent health impact assessment by Environmental Defense Fund estimated more than 2,500 lives are lost and 5,200 children develop asthma every year in the San Francisco Bay Area due to exposure to traffic-related pollution.

Transport-related sources of air pollution that damage our health are also sources of climate pollution. The extraction, transport and refining of hydrocarbons and the burning of gasoline, diesel or any other fuel to power our vehicles emits a cocktail of substances that harm both people and environmental health, as well as a mixture of greenhouse gases that heat the Earth.

With overlapping sources of pollution, the transportation sector presents a huge opportunity to achieve both climate and air pollution goals simultaneously.

The dangers of looking at climate without a clean air lens

Often climate and air quality goals are treated separately within a city or region, creating an artificial division and disconnected solutions. A city might have a climate plan and a distinct air pollution plan, run by different teams, which can inadvertently lead to harmful health outcomes.

For example, in the 1990s and 2000s in the European Union, climate policy encouraged drivers to switch to diesel vehicles. That policy was focused on reducing carbon pollution – without accounting for the significant amount of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) pollution that diesel engines put into the air. According to the American Lung Association, NO₂ is associated with increased inflammation of the airways that can cause:

Worsened cough and wheezing;
Reduced lung function;
Increased asthma attacks; and
Greater likelihood of emergency department and hospital admissions.

The pro-diesel policy led to a huge uptick in diesel-fueled cars on European roads, kicking off a new wave of air pollution that cities across the continent are still grappling with today. In London, for example, our research revealed how diesel pollution remains a huge source of the city’s air pollution, with diesel cars serving as the largest single source contributor to nitrogen oxides (NO_x) pollution at London primary schools. NO_x is a group of gases that includes NO₂.

The benefits of an integrated approach

Fortunately, city leaders are beginning to address climate and air pollution goals simultaneously. For example, Medellin, Colombia launched an Integrated Air Quality Management Plan that addresses both climate pollutants and health-damaging air pollutants. The plan includes the implementation of a Low Emission Zone focused on reducing fine particulate matter pollution and the incorporation of 64 zero-emission buses to the city’s Bus Rapid Transit system.

Sustainable transport is not just about clean vehicles. The ‘Avoid-Shift-Improve framework’ from the SLOCAT Partnership is useful:

Avoid trips in motorized vehicles and diminish distances travelled by both passenger and goods, through policies such as home office and other travel demand management measures, transit-oriented development, and logistics optimization.
Shift travel to sustainable mobility modes, by prioritizing investments on walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure, complemented by promotion strategies to ensure their preference by passengers, as well as to prioritize the use of efficient freight alternatives such as railways.
Improve the environmental performance of transport modes through energy efficiency, and ultra-low and zero emission technology and fuel systems.

Integrated climate and clean air solutions means more livable cities where people can breathe clean air, safely walk and cycle and access better and affordable public transport. It means optimized freight logistics, options to reduce commuting whenever possible and technologies and measures to reduce air pollution and carbon emissions. Integrated solutions mean using less-polluting vehicles and creating connected cities in which people can enjoy family and friends, go to school, work and have fun – all within a short distance.

We can tackle our twin challenge of climate and air pollution, with transport playing a key role in reducing emissions, protecting people’s health and achieving multiple other benefits for our lives and the planet.

Also posted in Climate, Health, Homepage / Comments are closed

New analysis reveals true ‘reach’ of London’s Clean Air Zone

By Oliver Lord / Published: August 4, 2021

By: Oliver Lord, Head of Policy and Campaigns, and Greg Slater, Senior Data Analyst

By incentivising cleaner vehicles, Clean Air Zones are a critical tool for improving air quality and addressing pollution from transport. Clean Air Zones are taking off across the UK – London, Bath and Birmingham have all introduced their own zones, and Manchester and Bristol are set to launch one in 2022.

Although these zones are deployed locally, our new data analysis reveals how the true ‘reach’ of Clean Air Zones goes far beyond their boundary – likely bringing air quality benefits to millions of people in London and across the country.

Clean Air Zones drive change

Clean Air Zones encourage cleaner vehicles by charging older, more polluting vehicles to enter the zones, often located in busy city centres.

In 2019 London launched its first Clean Air Zone for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) – known as the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which requires cleaner emissions standards for vehicles driving through central London. When looking at compliance rates, it’s easy to see how the ULEZ spurred an acceleration of cleaner vehicles. In February 2017, nearly 40% of all vehicles driving in what would become the ULEZ met the emissions standards. By the time the ULEZ debuted roughly two years later, that number had jumped to 73%.

Whilst the success of the central London ULEZ has been widely reported, it is less known that in March 2021 nearly the entire capital became an NO₂ Clean Air Zone for heavy duty vehicles. That means all lorries, buses and coaches driving in Greater London must meet emissions standards or pay a fee. By the end of 2020, an average of more than 92% of heavy duty vehicles met these standards – an indication of how the industry was shifting to prepare for the restrictions.

Analysing the ‘reach’

Although the emission standards are for vehicles driving inside the Clean Air Zone, we suspected that most journeys don’t remain inside the zone – delivering health and clean air benefits beyond the boundaries.

To examine the ‘reach’ of Greater London’s Clean Air Zone for heavy duty vehicles, we analysed a dataset produced by INRIX[1] that represents trips in a sample week. Since the pandemic has been hugely disruptive since March 2020, we looked at a week from September 2019.

By focusing on trips that passed through Greater London’s Clean Air Zone, we found that heavy duty vehicles drove further outside of the zone than within – on average twice as much distance. The map below reveals how – in just one week – large vehicles that were subject to the emissions standards were consistently driving many kilometres outside of London.

We also wanted to understand how many people these vehicle journeys were potentially reaching. Again looking at heavy duty vehicles crossing through Greater London’s Clean Air Zone, we found that they passed through nearly 95% of major towns and cities in England and Wales, which together have a combined population of 18 million people.

This analysis reveals how people living and working outside Greater London’s Clean Air Zone, even as far as Cardiff and Stoke-on-Trent, also benefit from the cleaner vehicles and reduced emissions brought about by the zone. As a result, city-level policy and the introduction of Clean Air Zones can benefit the health of people throughout the UK.

[1]Data was procured from INRIX. INRIX has no affiliation with the analysis or results.

Also posted in London / Comments are closed

When it comes to air pollution in Mexico City, data is power.

By Sergio Sanchez / Published: June 23, 2021

Mexico City is known around the world for its culture and rich history, but also for its struggle against air pollution. The information provided by the city’s state-of-the-art air quality monitoring system has been crucial for triggering large-scale actions that have made air quality significantly better over the last thirty years. However, the system also reveals that there are still seasonal spikes of high pollution levels and that air quality improvement trends slowed down during the last decade. In late 2019, new measures were officially announced by the Environmental Commission to reinforce air pollution abatement efforts, one of them focused on technology innovation.

That’s why last September I joined environmental authorities from the Government of Mexico City, the Government of the State of Mexico, the Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis, and the Federal Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources to launch a working group and a collaborative effort aimed to design a methodology for a proof of concept of hyperlocal air quality monitoring system in the Mexican capital that supplement city’s existing monitoring network to catalyze innovative actions for improving air quality.

The importance of hyperlocal monitoring

New international research has shown that air pollution varies at the street level, and can be vastly different for families living only one block away. Cities around the world including London, Beijing, Los Angeles and Medellin have been using microsensors for air quality monitoring and are seeing excellent results. With this data, practitioners are broadening their knowledge and capacities to localize and prioritize key areas where immediate action to mitigate air pollution is required.

Hyperlocal monitoring provides compelling evidence to make the case for air pollution abatement actions and can help inform the design of transformational interventions and investments in key sectors such as in transportation, land use and infrastructure. It also empowers communities to reduce exposure and foster localized solutions to protect public health, reduce health inequities and pursue environmental justice.

A step forward to make the invisible visible

This June, our working group launched a proposed methodology for designing and implementing a community-level air quality monitoring system in a 19 km²area in the northern part of Mexico City. The study area was explicitly selected for the coexistence of a mix of major pollution sources (industrial facilities, transportation hubs and freight and major passenger roadways) with vulnerable groups exposed to air pollution in multiple hospitals, schools, parks and sport centers, in an area with high population density with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

The methodology has been based on a sound analysis of the local context and conditions in Mexico City, the best available information about hyperlocal technologies, and the current best available practices in this field. In particular, it has been grounded in EDF’s experience with similar projects around the world, incorporating insights from national and international specialists and systematized recommendations and tools for designing hyperlocal air quality monitoring networks to catalyze clean air solutions as outlined in our Making the Invisible Visible: A Guide to Mapping Hyperlocal Air Pollution to Drive Clean Air Actions, and the Breathe London Blueprint guides.

Importantly, the methodology included broad participatory process involving experts in relevant fields from major universities, research centers, civil society organizations, international development institutions and government agencies, which ensured that the proof of concept hyperlocal air quality network design and approach was built upon the solid Mexican experience in comprehensive air quality management.

What’s next

Based on the design of the proof of concept, the Mexico City government will prepare the implementation of the first phase. This consists of a performance assessment of technology options needed to execute the hyperlocal monitoring and development of institutional capacities needed for operation, maintenance, data management, and communications for this monitoring system.

As we look towards the future, it’s critical to have this hyperlocal data to enhance institutional capacities, build community support and forge evidence-based policies that drastically reduce pollution while building more resilient communities. We are excited by the opportunity that this partnership offers in advancing clean air for all.

View the executive summary here.

Also posted in Health, Monitoring / Comments are closed

New projects in European cities will trial clean air solutions for freight

By Felicia Douglas / Published: June 22, 2021

Ravenna, Italy

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, people turned to home deliveries to safely meet their needs, furthering the rise in demand for parcels, and, consequently, an increase of vans and trucks on the roads. The freight sector is energy-intensive with last mile delivery relying largely on polluting diesel vehicles – creating air and noise pollution, congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.

Cities need innovative freight solutions now more than ever to protect public health, transform the sector and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable urban logistics system.

That’s why Environmental Defense Fund Europe (EDF Europe) is excited to partner with POLIS – a leading network of European cities and regions promoting innovative transport solutions – on a new collaboration for zero-emission zones for freight.

The freight opportunity

The freight sector – which includes transport trucks, delivery and service vans, construction vehicles and dustbin lorries – is a major part of city economies. Freight transport is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. In the European Union (EU), trucks contribute 22% of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from road transport, yet they only account for 2% of all vehicles on the road. Currently, vans are the fastest growing source of road transport emissions in the EU. Additionally, freight vehicles powered by fossil fuels also produce health-harming pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5).

There is huge potential to decarbonise the freight sector and improve the urban environment, and one pathway is zero-emission zones for freight. These zones only allow freight and delivery vehicles that are zero-emission (e.g., electric vans and cargo bikes) to enter – bringing benefits like lower congestion, safer roads, cleaner air and reduced carbon emissions.

The SURF project

Many European cities are beginning to incorporate freight into sustainable urban logistics plans, presenting an opportunity for EDF Europe and POLIS to support cities by providing guidance and tools to implement innovative transport measures.

The Sustainable Urban Freight (SURF) project aims to guide city planners, business leaders and other freight decision-makers in developing a strategy for sustainable freight transport. SURF is focused on the design and implementation of zero-emission zones for freight and employs a series of peer-to-peer learning activities, expert support and rapid studies or ‘Instant Projects’ with on-the-ground implementation.

Instant Projects

The Instant Projects are small-scale prototypes that will generate lessons to inform the wider urban freight community and create local, immediate impact. We are excited to announce the three successful applicants for the SURF Instant Projects:

Aarhus, Denmark: A port city with 280,000 residents

Project: Integrate urban freight transport in site-specific logistics plans in connection with large infrastructure projects near the central train station.

“The project will be a natural progression from the more strategic plans for transportation and logistics at a wide city level to a more operational plan for a specific geographic area where considerable challenges are faced. We hope that others will learn from our experience and work to transform cities in a way that allows for more sustainable logistics solutions,” – Louise Overvad Jensen, Engineer, Development Consultant

Karditsa, Greece: A flat, inland city with 40,000 residents

Project: Pilot deliveries for local businesses using e-cargo bikes with an emphasis on raising awareness and building partnerships.

“We are currently defining a strategy for decarbonising urban logistics throughout the city, so the SURF project arrives at the perfect time. Our local businesses are eager to promote sustainable mobility and cargo bikes present an excellent opportunity for expanding zero-emission deliveries,” – Natalia Tzellou, Head of the Department of Development Planning

Ravenna, Italy: A port city and regional capital with 160,000 residents

Project: Define a roadmap towards a zero-emission zone for freight and introduce a ‘Freight Quality Partnership’ as a permanent participatory process tool for stakeholder engagement.

“Ravenna is committed to making urban freight transport green, efficient and resilient. This project will allow us to work on zero-emission zones for freight focused in the city center and develop the potential to expand to the whole municipality.

This project will raise ambition and generate cascading effects that speed up the process towards decarbonisation and the vision of a more livable and accessible city,” – Nicola Scanferla, Manager, Senior Transport and Mobility

Tipping the scale

The total number of small and medium-sized cities in the EU far outweighs the number of large city centres. These cities can serve as an ideal ground for testing and implementing new transport strategies and services that are crucial for the most pressing mobility challenges. The three Instant Project cities, all small and medium-sized, will demonstrate solutions and pathways that other European towns and cities can replicate and scale up.

Many cities are rethinking how to move forward after the pandemic and create healthier communities. Reducing emissions and congestion from freight logistics is a critical pathway to a more sustainable transport system. The SURF project aims to advance clean air and climate goals through not only the Instant Projects but also by means of a Capacity Building Programme. The objective of this e-course is to raise awareness and equip policymakers, practitioners and operators with long-lasting capabilities to support the transition to zero-emission deliveries.

We look forward to sharing lessons, key results and tools from the Instant Projects later this year that will help other cities develop a roadmap to zero-emission freight and transform polluted urban roads, improve people’s health and protect the climate.

If you have experience in providing technical advisory support on urban freight, training or relevant studies, or you have a relevant project or study to showcase, please feel free to express your interest by means of this form to be considered for the capacity building e-course.

For a further introduction to the SURF project and to hear about what other European cities are doing to reduce the impacts of freight, you can watch the April 2021 webinar here.

Photo credit: Vivida Photo PC/shutterstock.com

Also posted in Climate, Health, Public Health/Environmental Official / Comments are closed

Better data is critical to address health disparities in air pollution’s impacts

By EDF Web Team / Published: March 31, 2021

Ananya Roy, Senior Health Scientist, and Maria Harris, Environmental Epidemiologist

The last several months have seen a wave of momentum in policies seeking toward advance environmental justice and equity through better data collection and mapping. In his first week in office, President Biden signed an executive order to initiate the development of a screening and mapping tool to identify disadvantaged communities with the goal of informing equitable decision making. And legislation introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate would launch a similar effort. This focus on data and mapping is critical.

Also posted in Environmental Justice, Health, Homepage, Oakland, Partners, Public Health/Environmental Official, Science / Comments are closed

Vital global initiative will accelerate clean air solutions in cities

By Sarah Vogel / Published: March 19, 2021

Everybody deserves the right to breathe clean air. Yet air pollution is choking cities and communities around the world – a staggering 9 in 10 people breathe unhealthy air.

City leaders need to urgently identify and accelerate solutions across the world. That’s why the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is launching a bold initiative – called Clean Air Catalyst – to help cities around the world reduce air pollution by advancing solutions that protect health, promote equitable prosperity and tackle the climate crisis. Through a global consortium of organizations led by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Clean Air Catalyst will begin in two pilot cities: Indore, India, and Jakarta, Indonesia. In Jakarta, WRI Indonesia is the implementing organization.

To mark the initiative’s official launch, hundreds of people from around the world attended a virtual conversation on clean air, health and climate solutions with U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and USAID’s Karl Fickenscher, as well as representatives from partners and the pilot cities. Here’s what you need to know.

Also posted in Climate, Concerned Citizen, Energy, Environmental Justice, Health, Homepage, Partners / Comments are closed

Pandemic exposes need for cities to improve air pollution data collection to protect public health

By Harold Rickenbacker / Published: July 15, 2020

Harold Rickenbacker, Ph.D., Manager, EDF+Business.

This is the fourth in a series of Global Clean Air blogs on COVID-19 and air pollution. EDF scientists and program experts share data about pollution levels during quarantine from a local and global perspective, and provide recommendations for governments and companies to Rebuild Better.

Los Angeles, California.

We’ve long known that air pollution is linked to health problems like heart disease and asthma, and that these risks are highest for the elderly and people with existing heart and lung diseases. Now, new evidence shows the same people who have lived with polluted air for decades are also at increased risk for severe illness from Coronavirus.

These findings are generating unprecedented urgency to clean the air we breathe and underscoring the importance for cities across the globe to make air pollution monitoring a priority in a post-pandemic world.

But as local leaders grapple with how to tackle air pollution and protect vulnerable communities, they’re faced with a big challenge: they lack the localized data needed to properly protect public health and reduce harmful emissions.

New, lower-cost sensor technology is allowing scientists, advocates and government officials to map air pollution at the hyperlocal level, which can reveal pollution patterns within neighborhoods and even individual city blocks.

Policymakers tasked with rebuilding healthier and more resilient communities in a post-pandemic world can use localized data to work more effectively with residents and stakeholders to implement powerful interventions that reduce air pollution in overburdened communities.

What better data can tell us

Everyone deserves to breathe clean air, but where you live determines how likely pollution is to worsen or shorten your life. And while most conventional monitoring systems can provide a general sense of a city’s air quality, they can’t account for air pollution at the neighborhood level, where people live, work, and play.

There are two ways local leaders can leverage hyperlocal air quality data to inform solutions for improving community health.

Finding the pollution culprit: Source apportionment

It’s common to see local variations in air pollution concentrations – a spike at one end of the block, but not the other. It’s more difficult, though, to determine the reasons behind that spike.

Through a process called source apportionment, cities can pinpoint the origin of air pollution emissions – using the most sophisticated methods, this information can be obtained at the level of down to a single idling truck, a specific power plant, or even a smoke stack from that plant. This level of specificity can show how individual sources are responsible for fluctuations in air pollution levels, as well as how much impact one sector of sources is having compared to others. For example, is a city’s biggest air pollution problem its diesel trucks or its power generation facilities?

Knowing exactly where pollution is coming from empowers city officials to see how much of their air pollution originates within their city boundaries, versus how much might be coming from a source in the neighboring region. Local governments, such as Salt Lake City are using these insights to identify where they have the authority to implement tailored interventions, or where they can collaborate with neighboring municipalities to clean the air for all.

Understanding the true impact air pollution has on health

The science is clear that air pollution is harmful to human health. Yet, we know little about where and how people are most affected.

Are the higher asthma rates in one neighborhood the result of pollution coming from local truck traffic, and not an upwind power plant? Is your community more or less affected than others in your city and why? Unfortunately, too often we’re seeing it’s low-income and minority populations that are hit the hardest, and tools like Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) are being used to prioritize environmental justice and policy actions.

HIAs were introduced as an independent tool to help practitioners, and decision makers incorporate and weigh public health considerations in decision making. Cities, including New York, London and Barcelona are using HIAs to evaluate what the potential health gains are from adopting various policies. In the Bay Area and in Houston, satellite and sensor data are being used to make the invisible visible.

As local leaders devise solutions for improving air quality, it’s critical that human health is made a top consideration. Making health a factor in the cost benefit analysis will enable cities to show that not only did their policies drive down pollution levels, they too improved public health.

Cleaner skies for a healthier tomorrow

Even in cities that might meet health-based standards, air pollution can burden or even shorten residents’ lives. And it’s disproportionately impacting some communities more than others.

The global pandemic reinforces the need for policies guided by sound science that safeguard our health and climate. At the same time, it’s bringing longtime inequities into sharper focus.

As we look into the future, it’s critical that local leaders harness hyperlocal data to forge evidence-based policies that drastically reduce pollution while building more resilient, inclusive communities.

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How cities around the world are responding during the pandemic

Air pollution at some commuter hotspots in London, UK halved in the first four weeks of lockdown, according to new research by our European colleagues. A separate survey showed one in six with lung conditions noticed their conditions were improved during the lockdown. London also temporarily expanded its Congestion Charge to new hours during the evenings and weekends to help reduce traffic pollution. Ultra-low emission vehicles and electric vehicles may drive in Central London without paying the hefty fees.

In Houston, One Breath Partnership is educating residents about environmental racism and the disparities of health impacts of pollution and COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities.

In Beijing, China, local authorities used the biggest political gathering of the year, China’s “Two Sessions,” to set an example and promote cleaner transportation options to the public. During the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in May, NPC and CPPCC representatives from Beijing all used electric vehicles for conference-related transportation. Beijing also has been promoting green transportation through programs such as waiving bike-sharing fees during rush hour and providing additional discounts to frequent bike-sharing users. EDF’s bike-sharing air quality monitoring pilot can help provide supporting data and in turn evaluate the social impact of the city’s approaches to reducing air pollution.

Paris, France is subsidizing purchases of electric bicycles, up to half the cost, or 500 Euros.

Bogotá, Colombia has responded to the pandemic by accelerating existing efforts to encourage low-carbon and cleaner forms of urban transport, such as adding 80 km of ciclovia (bicycle lanes) to the existing 560 km network and making greater provision for pedestrians.

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EDF surveyed sustainability leaders across the globe to better understand cities’ unique challenges and opportunities for air pollution management. According to preliminary results, 82% of respondents recognize Health Impact Assessment (HIA) and source apportionment as necessary tools to take action on air pollution. To this point, EDF is interested in learning the current status of air quality in your region, and where you are in your air pollution management journey, including any obstacles and/or successes you’ve faced along the way. Please take 10 minutes to complete this Air Pollution Management Needs Assessment.

This was originally posted to the EDF Health blog.

Also posted in Academic, Community Organizer, Concerned Citizen, Health, Public Health/Environmental Official / Authors: hrickenbacker_edfbiz / Comments are closed

Why now is the moment for cities around the world to act decisively on air pollution

By Sarah Vogel / Published: June 30, 2020

Sarah Vogel, Ph.D., is Vice President for Health.

This is the second in a series of Global Clean Air blogs on COVID-19 and air pollution. EDF scientists and program experts will share data about pollution levels during quarantine from a local and global perspective, and provide recommendations for governments and companies to Rebuild Better.

New COVID-19 air quality/ transportation measures in Bogotá, Colombia.

Around the world, we’ve seen dramatic improvement in air quality as a result of the response to COVID-19. While it’s come from an artificial and unwanted brake on the global economy, it’s drawn renewed attention to the devastating impacts of outdoor air pollution.

As many large cities around the world emerge from lockdown, city authorities need to act decisively to prevent air pollution rebounding and even exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels. That was the conclusion of participants in a “Clear Skies to Clean Air” webinar I moderated last week by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development World Wildlife Fund and Environmental Defense Fund, in collaboration with the World Bank.

The improvements in air quality seen during the COVID-19 lockdown have shown individuals and policymakers what is possible and could open the door to reinvigorated efforts to address pollution.

London and Bogotá demonstrate clean recovery strategies

The webinar heard from policymakers on the front lines of addressing air pollution: Shirley Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor of London, with responsibility for environment and energy; and Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia.

New COVID-19 air quality/ transportation measures in London.

Cities need devolved powers if they are to address local air pollution, argued Rodrigues: “We can’t have a centralised approach … Citizens deal with their local authorities, mayors know what is needed in their cities. Devolving powers, alongside funding, is absolutely critical so we can push the electrification agenda and the reclamation of roads, so we can avoid a car-based recovery.”

As well as discussing ongoing efforts that London has been making to encourage cycling and walking, Rodrigues also described how the city has been working with EDF to develop “hyper-local” air monitoring, which can inform a better understanding of how pollution is disproportionately affecting low-income communities. “Unless you have the data to really understand where the hotspots of pollution and hotspots of inequality [overlap], you can’t target your resources and your efforts.”

López explained how Bogotá has responded to the pandemic by accelerating existing efforts to encourage low-carbon and cleaner forms of urban transport, such as adding an additional 80 km of cycle lanes to the existing 560 km network and making greater provision for pedestrians.

“This is not going to be temporary – we’re going to take advantage of the pandemic to speak more to this agenda for clean and green transportation,” she said.

She also noted the importance of working cooperatively with adjacent local authorities: “We won’t be able to achieve our goals if surrounding municipalities don’t share our vision and our goals, because air doesn’t recognize administrative boundaries.” Similarly, clean transit systems need to be built at the regional level if they are to be effective, she added.

Targeted policy interventions by World Bank & EU

Karin Kemper, Global Director, Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy Global Practice at the World Bank, catalogued some of the impacts from toxic air: 7 million deaths from air pollution each year; a cost to the global economy of around $5.7 trillion in 2016 alone; a disproportionate effect on the poor; and the exacerbation of susceptibility to COVID-19.

“Fortunately, the evidence shows that there are many actions and measures we can take to improve air quality,” said Rodolfo Lacy, Director for the Environment Directorate at the OECD. The pandemic, he said, “has demonstrated the potential for targeted mitigation efforts to generate rapid and significant improvements, and the accompanying economic benefits in terms of improved health are quite relevant.”

He added that the OECD has a number of policy recommendations in this area: existing air pollution regulations are enforced; any COVID-19 responses do not worsen air quality issues; road space is reallocated to pedestrians and cyclists; low-emission zones in cities should be expanded; and air quality monitoring networks should be extended and upgraded.

“One of the things about air pollution is that it really lends itself to policy interventions,” Kemper added. In addition to the OECD recommendations, she recommended policies that aim to reduce emissions of black carbon – which has the added benefit of helping to mitigate climate change – and the removal of subsidies on fossil fuels, which currently amount to $4.7 trillion each year, or 6.5% of global GDP.

“This may be the moment, when fossil fuels are naturally cheap, to repurpose subsidies and use them for other things, such as in the health sector or education,” she said.

“Finally, carbon pricing and pollution charges are really important,” she added, noting that the World Bank has been working with Mexico and Colombia to design carbon pricing systems.

Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General for Environment for the European Commission spoke about the massive “Next Generation EU” Plan, to ensure the economic recovery from COVID-19 is sustainable, even, inclusive and fair for all member states. To repair and prepare for the next generation, the Commission will issue 30-year bonds totalling 750 billion euros ($842 billion USD), for investing in energy efficiency in buildings and infrastructure, renewable energy development and storage, carbon capture and sequestration, biodiversity and health. He said, “This plan is based on the ‘Green Oath,’ which abides by the principle, ‘do no harm.’ This plan will create resilience and a circular economy for future generations.”

The new plan goes farther than its previously announced European Green Deal. This growth strategy transforms the EU into a modern, resource-efficient, cleaner and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, economic growth is decoupled from resource use, and no person and no place is left behind.

This was originally posted to the EDF Health blog.

Also posted in Community Organizer, Concerned Citizen, Health, Public Health/Environmental Official / Authors: svogel / Comments are closed