The World Bank and IMF must put a value on clean air

 

Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark in Auckland, New Zealand, September 2, 2023. REUTERS/David Rowland

Air pollution is a "silent killer", say former New Zealand PM and former WHO chief scientist


Air pollution is a "silent killer", say former New Zealand PM and former WHO chief scientist

Helen Clark is former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Soumya Swaminathan is former Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization. 

As you read this, you’re likely inhaling a deadly substance. A silent killer lurking in cities, homes, schools and workplaces, claiming more than 7 million lives every year. Dirty air is the world’s largest single environmental health risk.

The impact on our health is terrifying. On average, each of us loses 2.2 years of life because of air pollution. The toll on economies is equally staggering, with an estimated 1.2 billion workdays lost annually due to the effects of dirty air – which could soar to 3.8 billion by 2060.

Next week’s World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings present a crucial opportunity for global leaders to make clean air a priority.

Despite the alarming statistics, air pollution has not received the attention it deserves. Because pollution is often invisible, it’s easy to take clean air for granted. For example, less than 1% of international development funding currently goes to clean air projects. 

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