According to a report released by the Center for Energy and Clean Air Research (CREA) and Greenpeace Southeast Asia, health problems caused by burning coal, oil, and natural gas result in 4.5 million premature deaths worldwide each year, and the resulting air pollution causes economic losses of up to US$2.9 trillion annually.
According to a report released today (December 12) by the Center for Energy and Clean Air Research (CREA) and Greenpeace Southeast Asia, air pollution caused by fossil fuels results in $8 billion in economic losses globally every day, or $2.9 trillion annually, approximately 3.3% of global GDP. The report indicates that China, the United States, and India suffer the highest economic losses due to air pollution, estimated at $900 billion, $600 billion, and $150 billion annually, respectively.
(Illustration of the economic costs of air pollution to various countries, source: Bloomberg)
Despite efforts by some countries and companies to use more renewable energy and cleaner fuels, air pollution continues to kill billions of people worldwide every day. The report states that health problems caused by burning coal, oil, and natural gas result in 4.5 million premature deaths globally each year, including 40,000 children who die before their fifth birthday due to exposure to PM2.5 particles. PM2.5 has the greatest impact on health and costs compared to other pollutants such as ozone and nitrogen dioxide, with more populous countries typically bearing a greater burden. In 2019, approximately 91% of the global population lived in areas with air pollution levels exceeding those set by the World Health Organization. Minwoo Son, Greenpeace's East Asia Clean Air Advocate, stated, "Every year, air pollution from fossil fuels claims millions of lives, increases our risk of stroke, lung cancer, and asthma, and costs us trillions of dollars." "But we know how to solve this problem: transition to renewable energy and phase out diesel and gasoline vehicles." Greenpeace believes that the world must phase out existing coal, oil, and gas infrastructure and transition to renewable energy to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. A November report from Oxford Economics stated that if no measures are taken to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the Earth could warm by 2 degrees Celsius by 2050, reducing global GDP by 2.5%, to 7.5%. The report also pointed out that deaths of children and young people due to air pollution will have enormous social and economic consequences, and the world will pay a heavy economic price. Source: Environmental Information Centre. Image source: veeterzy
