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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.
International Day of Clean Air for blue skies logo
Past event / This webinar will focus on providing practical guidance for integrating gender considerations into project design.
Past event / This AMCEN side event will present the findings from the Integrated Assessment of Air Pollution and Climate Change for Sustainable Development in Africa.
Past event / SEI York Centre Director Sarah West moderated a Cities4Children panel discussion on air pollution and its effects on children in urban areas.
Past event / SEI York researchers will participate in the three-day hybrid APCAP Joint Forum on "The Air We Share: Scaling up governance, legislation, and finance action".
Past event / This scientific workshop aims to present and exchange knowledge and understanding among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers on air pollution.
Past event / The session will present key results of the upcoming Integrated Assessment of Air Pollution and Climate Change for Sustainable Development in Africa report.
Perspective / Eight countries are recommitting to work together to reduce the severe and widespread health and economic impacts of air pollution in the region.
Journal article / Despite contributing little to climate change, Togo has identified measures to simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve local air quality.
Feature / SEI York's work integrating air pollution and climate change mitigation recognised for impact in REF2021.
Feature / The Climate & Clean Air Coalition and SEI are developing an assessment of air pollution and climate change in Africa to reduce emissions and maximize benefits.
It's not just outside that we are exposed to air pollution. As well polluted outdoor air finding its way inside, many of the objects we bring into our own homes, schools and workplaces, and the activities that take place there, produce airborne pollutants. 2.4 billion people are exposed to dangerous levels of household air pollution. In South Asia and many African countries, household air pollution is the leading cause of premature death. SEI is working to understand some of the sources and impacts of these indoor pollutants.
Project / This project investigates air pollutants inside homes in the city of Bradford, UK: their sources, interactions and health effects on those living there.
Project / A citizen science project monitoring indoor air, created with and for UK schools.
Journal article / This paper addressed how poor ventilation and polluting cooking fuels in low-income homes cause high exposure, yet relevant global studies remain limited.
Feature / This piece looks at the day in the life of a female worker in a lacquer craft village in Viet Nam to show how female workers are exposed to air pollution.
We have been working with athletics organizations in both Kenya and Sweden to promote action and advocacy to tackle air pollution.
Past event / The Swedish Athletics Association hosted a panel discussion and roundtable dialogue on sports and the environment at Stockholm Olympic Stadium on 4 June.
Media coverage / In a period of heightened climate action globally, SEI and Athletics Kenya signed a memorandum of understanding to create awareness on clean air for sports.
Media coverage / A commemorative run to celebrate the 50th anniversary of UNEP took place on 4 March in Nairobi, Kenya. SEI Africa's Dr Philip Osano spoke to the athletes.
Media coverage / World Athletics builds on SEI's air pollution research to introduce Phase 2 of their air quality project: a new method of monitoring air pollution in Nairobi.
Feature / Côte d'Ivoire's updated Nationally Determined Contribution aims to reduce air pollution to benefit citizens' health and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
Feature / The AUC, UNEP, SEI and CCAC are supporting researchers and African country representatives to evaluate the state of air pollution and the climate in Africa.
Journal article / Novel co-created transdisciplinary research uses arts and humanities methods to explore air pollution in an informal settlement (Mukuru) in Nairobi, Kenya.
Perspective / This perspective highlights three major solutions to address the challenges faced by low-income and vulnerable transport users in African cities.
Perspective / An SEI study shows the need to urgently improve air quality both indoors and outdoors to protect the health of workers in Thailand.
Feature / In this Q&A, SEI Policy Fellow Amar Čauševic explains the wider consequences of rice-wheat burnings in India, as well as the tricky system causing them.
Perspective / On the occasion of World Cities Day, SEI Research Associate Minh Tran reflects on urban planning from a health emergency and risk reduction perspective.
Past event / This event will discuss inclusive air quality management and air pollution policies in Bangkok, Thailand.
Past event / Find out about a science-based roadmap to plan and implement sector-specific methane emission reductions to reach national targets of the Global Methane Pledge.
Past event / Take part in the launch of this report to discuss the keys we have available to unlock change and how to improve the conditions for delivering a better future.
Past event / At the first Middle East and North Africa Climate Week, SEI's Chris Malley discussed efforts to reduce the region's air pollution in a webinar hosted by CCAC.
Past event / The event will highlight the need to localize commitments and action to scale-up and address air pollution and climate change.
Past event / In this INTALInC webinar, experts explore promising approaches aimed at overcoming exclusion in East African urban transport planning.
Past event / Sir Andy Haines, Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, delivered the Gordon Goodman Lecture on 15 September 2021.
Past event / A demonstration of the benefits of implementing integrated actions for clean air and the climate in Southeast Asia.
Looking for more? Explore all our content on air pollution.
Perspective / SEI Team Leader and Research Fellow Nina Weitz reflects on the Stockholm+50 meeting outcomes, actions and urgent recommendations for the future.
SEI brief / SEI and partners are producing a first-of-its-kind guide for businesses to develop air pollutant emission inventories to track and reduce such emissions.
Other publication / This report commissioned by WWF-UK identifies nitrogen losses to the environment and their impacts, and identifies key interventions and approaches.
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