New data from the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) shows that while particulate air pollution remains the world’s greatest external risk to human health, its impact on global life expectancy is uneven.
“Three-quarters of air pollution’s impact on global life expectancy occurs in just six countries, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, Nigeria and Indonesia, where people lose one to more than six years off their lives because of the air they breathe,” says Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and one of the creators of the AQLI.
The AQLI also found that countries most impacted by air pollution lack the tools to improve air quality.
Continue reading on the United Nations Environment Programme…
Areas of Focus: Environment, Air Pollution, AQLI
Definition
Environment
Producing and using energy damages people’s health and the environment. EPIC research is quantifying the social costs of energy choices and uncovering policies that help protect health while facilitating growth.
Definition
Air Pollution
Air pollution from fossil fuel combustion poses a grave threat to human health worldwide. EPIC research is using real-world data to calculate the effects of air pollution on human health...
Definition
AQLI
Particulate air pollution is one of the most serious risks to human health globally. To help communicate those risks, the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) converts particulate air pollution into...