Low- and middle-income nations (LMICs) are at the forefront of global endeavors to enhance air quality as an integral facet of their national climate strategies, according to a recent assessment. The ranking, conducted by the Global Climate and Health Alliance, unveiled that Colombia and Mali exhibit the most robust commitments to tackling air pollution and its associated health consequences. In stark contrast, leading polluters like the influential G20 countries are lackadaisical in their pursuits.
Strikingly, among the top 15 countries in the GCHA ranking, all but one hail from LMICs, including Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ghana, Albania, Bangladesh, Cambodia, El Salvador, Honduras, and Sierra Leone.
Jess Beagley, GCHA’s policy lead, highlighted the poignant observation that countries displaying the greatest zeal to combat air pollution are often those disproportionately affected by its adverse effects.
In contrast, the G20 nations received unfavorable scores, with Canada and China performing relatively better, while Australia, Brazil, the European Union, India, and the United Arab Emirates recorded the lowest scores. Chile stands as the sole high-income nation within the top 15 countries.
“The global south countries are generally not high per-capita greenhouse-gas emitters,” noted Beagley. “As major global polluters, it is crucial for G20 countries to embed air-quality considerations into their nationally determined contributions, yet no G20 government even scores half-marks – indicative of a lack of recognition of the links between climate and air quality or ambition to take action.”
The GCHA ranking, encompassing 169 countries and the European Union, evaluates their progress in incorporating air-quality considerations into their national climate strategies. It seeks to assess the extent to which these commitments contribute to ensuring clean and healthy air for communities worldwide.
The grading system largely focuses on pledges, future plans, and targets set by nations, without considering actual implementation or broader national policies. This oversight means that the assessment may not reflect practical progress.
Air pollution remains a critical issue, responsible for an alarming 7 million annual deaths and contributing to various non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular ailments, stroke, respiratory conditions, and certain cancers.
Jeni Miller, GCHA’s executive director, emphasized the potential for Cop28, set to convene this December, to prioritize air pollution as one of the most tangible aspects at the intersection of climate and health. Miller underscored the need for substantive progress to fulfill Cop28’s commitment to be the inaugural “health Cop.”
