About the day
The third International Day of Clean Air for blue skies takes place just months after a World Health Organization report found that 99% of the population breathes polluted air.
Every year, 7 million people die prematurely due to air pollution, 90% of whom live in low- and middle-income countries. Air pollution disproportionately affects children and the elderly and negatively impacts ecosystems. Improving air quality is essential to mitigating the impacts of many air pollutants that contribute directly to the climate crisis. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development also recognizes that air pollution abatement is important to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The United Nations General Assembly designated 7 September as International Day of Clean Air for blue skies in 2019, and the first Day was held in 2020. The need for clean air remains as important as ever. The day aims to build a global community of action that encourages countries to work together to tackle air pollution to ensure that we can protect #TheAirWeShare to protect human and environmental health. To this end, it gives people a platform that can enable cooperation at the individual, national, regional and international level.
Find out more about this day on the Clean Air for blue skies website and FAQ page and test your knowledge of air pollution with a quick quiz.
Key projects
Global projects and tools
Projects in Latin America
Key people
Looking for more? Explore all our content on air pollution.