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In News: Air Pollution is excessively damaging in 6 Indian Cities as per Greenpeace Report.
Key findings of the Report
- Air pollution claimed approximately 54,000 lives in Delhi in 2020.
- 6 Indian cities were assessed and everywhere air pollution is excessively damaging.
- Globally, approximately 1,60,000 deaths have been attributed to PM 2.5 air pollution in the five most populous cities: Delhi, Mexico City, São Paulo, Shanghai and Tokyo.
- Cost Estimator, an online tool was deployed to access realtime health impact by using PM 2.5, population and public health data.
- It was developed with collaboration between Greenpeace Southeast Asia, IQAir and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
- Cost estimators also sustained the estimated air pollution-related economic losses of Rs. 1,23,65,15,40,000.
- ‘Willingness-to-pay’ approach: This new approach was used by Greenpeace to access the economic cost.
- It is calculated by accessing monetary value which people are willing to pay to avoid a lost life year or a year lived with disability.
- Out of the 28 global cities studied, Delhi bore the highest economic cost of air pollution despite a strict COVID-19 lockdown.
Other findings on Environmental Pollution
- Three environmental crises at present
- Climate change.
- Nature loss.
- Pollution of air, soil and water.
- Irresponsible and indifferent actions of governments, financial institutions, businesses and individuals.
- In 2020, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced the world is headed for global warming of more than 3°C this century despite the Lockdown and reduced CO2 emission.
- The recent Dasgupta’s Global Review on the Economics of Biodiversity reminded the same about the environment.
- Per capita stock of natural capital (the resources and services nature provides to humanity) has fallen by 40% in just over two decades.
- A staggering nine out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air.
Way Ahead for Air Pollution
- UN’s Making Peace with Nature report: It has compiled all evidence of environmental decline with the most advanced ideas on how to reverse it.
- It can act as a blueprint for a sustainable future that can secure human well-being on a healthy planet.
- Making People Aware: Sustainable Development Goals can’t be achieved by 2030 if climate change and ecosystem collapse.
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- Environmental damage is undermining food and water supplies in the world’s poorest countries.
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- Proper Economic Assessment of Losses: It may render the lucrative present day business models unviable.
- Banks would stop funding fossil fuels.
- Governments would shift trillions of Dollars in subsidies to eco-friendly technologies.
- People also need to be sensitised for prioritizing health and well-being over consumption and shrink their environmental footprint.
- Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): There is increasing compliance and at present 126 states are working to achieve net zero emission.
- Governments must also finally agree on the rules for a global carbon trading market.
- The $100 billion that developed countries promised to provide every year.
- Circular economic systems: It reuses resources, reduces emissions and weeds out the chemicals and toxins that are causing millions of premature deaths, all while creating jobs.
Conclusion
- Our environmental, social and economic challenges are interlinked. Further, the world is sitting on a ticking time bomb which needs urgent action as highlighted by various reports.
- Multi-pronged action should be taken by engaging all stakeholders to combat the severe problem. The current need is to show a unified stance by both developing and developed to tackle this mammoth challenge before humanity.
Source: TH
