A new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) has found that integrated action to tackle climate change and air pollution could prevent about 144 million premature deaths globally by 2050.
The report, titled Hidden Assets: The Economic and Health Case for Climate and Clean Air Action, said implementing 25 proven measures across energy, transport, industry, agriculture, household cooking and heating, and waste management could significantly reduce exposure to harmful air pollutants while also slowing climate change.
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The measures include expanding renewable energy and energy efficiency, improving oil and gas operations, strengthening vehicle emission standards, promoting electric vehicles, adopting cleaner cooking and heating solutions, improving agricultural and livestock practices, reducing emissions from waste, and phasing down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
The finding comes against the backdrop of an already severe global air pollution crisis.
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In March 2025, the World Health Organisation (WHO) disclosed that about seven million people die prematurely from air pollution annually, with 99 per cent of the world’s population breathing air that exceeds its recommended guideline limits.
Air pollution, a major health threat
The new UNEP and CCAC assessment estimated that the 25 measures could prevent 96 million premature deaths linked to exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5), 43 million deaths associated with household PM2.5 exposure and five million deaths linked to ozone by 2050.
The interventions could also avert an estimated 62 million cases of childhood asthma, 87 million heart attacks, 63 million cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 56 million cases of diabetes, 45 million strokes, 36 million cases of dementia and seven million cases of lung cancer.
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The projected health gains are significant because ambient PM2.5 and ozone alone caused an estimated 6.4 million premature deaths worldwide in 2025, according to the report. Household PM2.5 exposure contributed another two million deaths, including about 300,000 children.
PM2.5 refers to fine particles small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
Without stronger intervention, the report warned that the proportion of the global population exposed to the most dangerous PM2.5 concentrations could rise from 27 per cent in 2025 to 34 per cent by 2050.
Africa’s burden
The assessment identified Africa as one of the regions that could record substantial health and economic gains from integrated action.
It said only about 20 per cent of Africa’s population had access to clean cooking fuels as of 2020, making household air pollution a particularly important concern on the continent.
For Sub-Saharan Africa, the report identified clean cooking as one of the most important near-term interventions because reducing household exposure to harmful smoke can deliver immediate health benefits.
Southern Africa was projected to record a benefit-cost ratio of 26:1, while Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa could each generate about US$11 in benefits for every dollar invested.
The report said regions in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Africa could avoid damages equivalent to 3.5 to four per cent of regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2035 through implementation of the measures.
Health and economic gains
The economic case for acting is also significant.
The report found that every US$1 invested in the 25 measures could generate about US$15 in economic benefits.
Globally, the measures could generate economic benefits equivalent to 2.8 per cent of global GDP by 2035, rising to about 11.4 per cent by 2100.
The gains would come from reduced healthcare spending, increased labour productivity, greater workforce participation and avoided damage from climate change.
The climate benefits would also be substantial. The assessment projected that implementing the measures could avoid about 0.34°C of global warming by 2050 and approximately 1.4°C by 2100.
By 2050, the 25 measures could cut global carbon dioxide emissions by half, methane emissions by 60 per cent and black carbon and PM2.5 precursors, including sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, by 70 per cent.
The report said pursuing climate and air quality measures together produces greater benefits because the two problems share many of the same sources, including fossil fuel combustion, agricultural practices and industrial processes.
Delays threaten potential gains
Despite the potential benefits, the assessment warned that delayed action could result in preventable deaths, disease and economic losses.
It estimated that every year of delay could forgo more than 0.5 per cent of global GDP in benefits, equivalent to more than US$1.5 trillion in combined market and non-market value.
Globally, implementation of the 25 measures is expected to be delayed by about 7.5 to eight years on average, with institutional barriers accounting for about 2.4 years.
The report said the biggest obstacles were not necessarily technological but institutional, including fragmented decision-making, weak coordination between government agencies, inadequate financing and limited enforcement capacity.
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Nigeria’s role
Nigeria was cited as an example of a country taking steps towards integrated action through the inclusion of short-lived climate pollutants in its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
The report also cited Nigeria’s awareness-raising initiative on open burning and its Rural Women Energy Security Programme as examples of interventions capable of driving social and technological change.
Call to action
The assessment urged governments to integrate climate and clean air action into national economic planning and investment strategies, while increasing funding for institutional capacity, air quality monitoring, emissions inventories and enforcement.
It also recommended prioritising measures capable of producing rapid health gains, including clean cooking, methane controls targeting leaks, venting and flaring, organic waste management and transport measures.
The report said international partners should also mobilise finance for institutional strengthening, policy development, technology transfer and infrastructure investment, particularly in developing regions facing greater climate and pollution risks.
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