Because of its effects on human health and the environment, tackling air pollution is now a top priority for organizations and companies globally. Most actions required can be found in institutional/ country policies, which are based on sound scientific research and provide a framework for individuals and businesses. We are presenting some examples from 3 global organizations.
The UN
The UN has introduced the so-called sustainable development goals:
The idea behind them is to be implementable by all countries, independent of their resources and income. It is required to put in global efforts to tackle climate change and ensure a sustainable future for everyone. The goals are not only oriented towards the environment, but also equality at the workplace, social security, justice, health.
WHO
Substantial work has been done to understand the effects of both outdoor and indoor (ambient) air pollution. Based on research, the WHO has managed to identify “healthy” ranges for most pollutants – and at what point they become dangerous. According to WHO, nowadays 9 out of 10 people breathe unhealthy air, with pollutant concentrations way above the acceptable ranges. Continuous policy making is still required to ensure better compliance and widespread understanding of the health effects of air pollution.
The European Commission
Europe has some of the strictest emissions policies for companies. Industries are required to measure their emissions, submit regular reports, and keep within certain ranges. In the EU, emissions are capped to a maximum. Companies can trade with their emissions allowance – so companies, who produce less emissions, can sell allowance to companies, who produce more emissions. The EU supports efforts to cut emissions by e.g. optimizing manufacturing processes, renewing and modernizing equipment, installing filters. There are however emissions that can’t be cut in this way, so companies are looking for ways to offset them. One way to do that is by investing in sustainable projects and getting certificates for them.
The problem is that planting trees in Africa doesn’t make the air in e.g. Germany cleaner, does it? Even though this method works on paper and theory, practically the air quality locally, at the site of the manufacturing company, doesn’t improve and the negative effects of pollution are still there- affecting people’s health, crop production, water quality. Don’t get us wrong, we do support the trading of emissions. We do believe however that more actions are required.
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