Air pollution is the biggest environmental health risk of our time. It also exacerbates climate change, causes economic losses, and reduces agricultural productivity. But it is preventable. Collaboration among all stakeholders is necessary for a healthier tomorrow.

World Clean Air Day is an opportunity for everyone, everywhere, to invest in clean air. It doesn't have to be boring, though. Enjoy some favourite air-themed tracks that inspire action and remind us why clean air matters.

Protecting forests is important to improving global air quality. New research shows that, besides storing carbon and removing ozone and particulate matter from the air, trees serve as a net sink of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that pollutes the air.

UNEP is working with the Democratic Republic of the Congo to enable sustainable agroforestry,which provides myriad benefits to the environment, health and economy.

For the people of East and Southeast Asia, air pollution has become an all too familiar sight.

Live data from UNEP showed that on a typical mid-August day this year, more than 98 per cent of people in China, Japan, Laos, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam breathed in air with PM2.5 levels that exceeded World Health Organization guidelines.

Find out more.

This year marks the 5th #WorldCleanAirDay, join @WorldResources, @UNEP, & @CCACoalition’s event featuring speakers from U.S. State Dept, NASA, UNEP, U.S. EPA, WRI and more

For more information, and to register for the in-person event, please visit https://t.co/YVPavo3UgC pic.twitter.com/GId3Ul5RPK

— Clean Air Catalyst (@CleanAirCAC) August 28, 2024

Every day, between 2,000 and 3,000 trucks travel the Northern Corridor—a network of highways, railways, pipelines, and inland waterways linking the largely landlocked countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to Kenya's port of Mombasa. This has turned the highway into an air pollution hotspot.

The UNEP and the UNEP-supported Climate and Clean Air Coalition are working with these countries to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Clean air is essential for health, while air pollution is the leading environmental risk to human health and a major preventable cause of death globally. The International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, held annually, highlights the urgent need to address the evolving threat of air pollution.

Under the theme "Invest in #CleanAirNow", this year's observance highlights the urgent need for stronger partnerships, increased investment, and shared responsibility to combat air pollution.

Kids Ask Climate Questions is a great series from Connect4Climate where kids ask climate experts the big questions.

This episode sees a nine-year old from the USA ask UNEP's communications officer Laura Fuller a question about air pollution. You can watch the video here.

This year’s International Day of Clean Air for blue skies features a call for collective action to tackle air pollution, which claims almost 7 million lives a year.

A key part of that process, say experts, is creating solid partnerships, increasing regional cooperation and boosting investments to make the world’s air cleaner.

UNEP has been leveraging those principles to help the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean counter air pollution, which remains a serious issue in the region.

UNEP activities in support of the region's countries include capacity building for comprehensive and effective air quality management through working sessions with experts and facilitating the exchange of experiences between countries.

Read the rest of the story here.

Data around air pollution can often be complex, but UNEP’s Pollution Action Note displays the global state of air pollution, major sources, the impact on human health, and national efforts to tackle this critical issue, in easy to understand visuals.

Explore the data here.