BreatheLife cities, regions and countries celebrate clean air successes on first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies
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Stories from BreatheLife members
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Photo credits: WHO/Yoshi Shimizu ©WHO
WHO launches video series on air pollution and health
Videos tackle burning questions on air pollution and health in short, pithy interviews with experts, government officials, researchers and WHO staff from around the world.
Baguio City launches Roadmap for Air Quality Communication
Baguio City has launched its Roadmap for Air Quality Communication to boost its efforts and capacity in air quality communication, the result of a set of two workshops to develop the Roadmap in Baguio City to support the BreatheLife member’s air quality improvement efforts.
Greater Manchester asks parents and school kids to cycle, walk or scoot to school
Parents and pupils in Greater Manchester are being urged to plan to get to school by bicycle or scooter or on foot when term reopens in September if they can, to free up scarcer space on public transport for those who need to travel longer distances.
Outdoor air pollution drives up carbon emissions, Singapore study finds
As air pollution rises, residents take defensive measures including staying indoors and relying on air conditioners and air purifiers, driving up electricity use – and carbon emissions.
Accra’s steps toward clean air
Ghana is setting the pace on the African continent in sustainable development. Its capital city of Accra demonstrates leadership in the region - it was among the first African cities to commit to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) and engages in the BreatheLife campaign. Now, as the world faces its biggest health crisis of our generation, Accra continues to lead by example.
C40, Quezon City establish partnership to advance air quality management efforts in Quezon City
C40 and the Quezon City Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together in implementing solutions towards reducing air pollution in the city.
Quezon City to develop 161 kms of bike lanes as part of its recovery program
As part of its commitment to sustainable recovery and the global clean air initiative, the Quezon City government announced that it would develop a network of bike lanes totalling 161 kms throughout the city.
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Welcome to our new members
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Nigeria
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has become the continent’s first BreatheLife country member. Its air pollution efforts are centred around a National Action Plan to tackle short-lived climate pollutants that was approved mid-2019 by the country’s Federal Executive Council.
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Stories from BreatheLife partners
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First International Day for Clean Air calls for decisive global action to beat air pollution - UNEP
With extreme air pollution events on the rise, global efforts to reduce pollution and its effects received an advocacy boost when, for the first time ever, the world marked the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies on 7 September.
UN Secretary-General's message on the first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies - Climate & Clean Air Coalition
UN Secretary-General António Guterres outlines why air pollution is a preventable risk. He calls for us all to work together to build a better future with clean air for ever.
D(air) to dream of a cleaner future for your city - UNEP, UNECE
In 2019, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) made recommendations for Kazakhstan to improve how it raises awareness on air pollution and alerts the public of high pollution levels, including by involving citizen science. Since, 50 LED screens have lit up across Almaty, displaying air quality data drawing from citizens.
Farm Fresh: Change Is In The Air - Climate & Clean Air Coalition, UNEP
As the developing world enters its season of fire, experts sound the alarm about air pollution.
Governments, smart data and wildfires: where are we at? - UNEP
The ongoing wildfires in on the west coast of the United States have focused media attention on wildfires more generally and their link to biodiversity and habitat loss, as well as global heating. UNEP takes a look at the some of the different types of wildfires, assess their impact and what is causing them, and why accurate, real-time data is so important for wise action to curb them.
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Air pollution: A silent killer in Lagos - World Bank
A recent World Bank study, the Cost of Air Pollution in Lagos, estimates that illness and premature deaths due to ambient air pollution caused losses of $2.1 billion in 2018, representing about 2.1% of Lagos State’s GDP. It caused an estimated 11,200 premature deaths, the highest in West Africa.
Achieving Africa’s development in a way that limits air pollution and climate change - Climate & Clean Air Coalition, UNEP, Stockholm Environment Institute
As the world celebrates the first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, a new assessment is being developed to illustrate how Africa can achieve key development goals, provide clean air for its people, and help the global fight against climate change.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the closure of ageing dumps is helping to clear the air - UNEP
In the last 10 years, governments have closed some of the most polluted landfills in the region, including sprawling facilities in Brazil, Mexico and Nicaragua, part of an effort by countries to cut down on pollution and stem the flood of greenhouse gases.
Waste Not: The Heavy Toll Of Our Trash - Climate & Clean Air Coalition
The Climate and Clean Air Coalition work with cities to capture and use landfill gas; prevent open burning of waste and divert organic waste from dumpsites, altogether.
Walkable streets equals clean air - UNEP
While most governments around the world are hard at work to get people out of their cars to reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality in urban spaces, in African cities, many people already reach their destinations through the healthiest and most environmentally-friendly mode: walking.
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K-pop group Red Velvet calls for #cleanairforall
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South Korean K-pop group Red Velvet, working with the UN Development Programme as a Goodwill Ambassador, features in this video clip to raise public awareness of the importance of tackling air pollution and climate change. The Republic of Korea led the worldwide observance of the first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies.
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Lockdown did not reduce 'most harmful' type of air pollution in Scotland
The significant reduction in vehicle journeys during the COVID-19 lockdown did not reduce the level of toxic fine particles in Scotland’s air, according to research from the University of Stirling.
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Official Opening of the 1st Blue Skies Day by the Republic of Korea, with video message from President of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Moon Jae-in, and UN Secretary-General, António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres.
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Events are planned for virtual participation unless otherwise stated
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