International Day of Clean Air : Need to raise awareness for sustainable future

New Delhi: Today the world is observing the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, to raise public awareness to improve air quality for a sustainable future.

Improving air quality is crucial as 99% of the world’s population is at risk from air pollution. According to WHO more than 6.7 million people prematurely die every year across the world attributed to indoor and outdoor air pollution.

In the absence of aggressive intervention, the number of premature deaths resulting from ambient air pollution is estimated to be on track to increase by more than 50 per cent by 2050.

Air pollution also threatens the global economy as it imposes enormous health costs, representing 6.1% of the global gross domestic product (more than US$ 8 trillion in 2019).

The impact is much worse for infants as air pollution affects their health even before they are born. Air pollution also harms our ecosystems, with many air pollutants directly contributing to climate change.

So above all of this, International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies encourages countries to work together to combat air pollution and safeguard ecosystems.

The day provides a platform for individual, national, regional, and worldwide cooperation.

The 2023 edition of UN International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies with the theme, “Together for Clean Air”, emphasizes the urgent need for stronger partnerships and shared responsibility for overcoming air pollution.

It calls for a collective effort to protect our atmosphere and ensure that everyone has access to clean air.

History of the Day

The 74th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) enacted a resolution designating 7 September as “International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies” in 2019.

The resolution emphasizes the significance and urgency of increasing public awareness at all levels and promoting and facilitating actions to improve air quality.

Since then, the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies is observed to encourage governments, citizens, and businesses to join forces and act in providing solutions to reduce air pollutants and maintain clean air.