As the world marked the 5th anniversary of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, stakeholders have called for investment in clean air solutions to air pollution.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a statement on Saturday that more than 99 per cent of humanity was now breathing polluted air.

UNEP said air pollution had caused more than 8 million annual deaths, including more than 700,000 children under five.

According to the UN agency, dirty air disproportionately affects more vulnerable populations such as women, children and older people.

“Air pollution has become the second leading risk factor for early death globally, overtaking tobacco for adults and second only to malnutrition for children under five.

“Yet despite the already high and still rising economic, environmental and existential impact of air pollution, which each year costs the world USD $8.1 trillion in health damages alone, less than one per cent of international development funding is dedicated to tackling it,” it said.

In his message for the day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in addition to the silent killer’s toll on human health, “pollution is also choking economies and heating up our planet, adding fuel to the fire of the climate crisis.

“Investing in clean air requires actions by both government and businesses to phase out fossil fuels, strengthen air quality monitoring and enforce air quality standards.

“It also requires boosting renewable energy, transition to clean cooking, build sustainable transport and sustainable waste management systems, clean up supply chains, and reduce harmful emissions, including methane.”

Sharing the same sentiment, UNEP executive director, Inger Andersen, in her message, called for greater investment in air pollution solutions in all societies.

“We are asking nations, regions and cities to establish robust air quality standards by backing renewable energy and sustainable transport, holding industry to account with strict emission standards, and integrating air quality into climate action.

“We are asking for strong funding through redirecting fossil fuel subsidies, through grants or microloans for cleaner cooking technologies, and through serious private sector engagement and investment.

“We are asking for collective action, from international development initiatives to individuals that can make small changes in their own lifestyles,” she said.

The UN General Assembly in 2019 designated Sept. 7 as the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies with the aim of raising awareness and facilitating actions to improve air quality.

(NAN)