Coordinated action on clean air and climate change can net $15 for every dollar spent

Tackling air pollution and climate change together can save millions of lives, reduce global warming and generate roughly $15 in economic benefits for every $1 spent, a new UN-backed report has revealed.The assessment by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) shows how coordinated action can improve public health, strengthen economies and accelerate progress on climate goals through 25 proven measures and policy reforms.These include using renewable energy, electric vehicles and clean fuel sources for cooking.It comes as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) also underlined the importance of coordinated action as increased pollution from wildfires and heatwaves threatens to undermine global efforts to improve air quality,Making the caseThe report finds that combining efforts produces higher returns than addressing climate change and air pollution separately, because many of the same sectors and pollutants drive both crises.“For too long, we have treated climate action as a cost to be managed and air pollution as the unfortunate outcome of development,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “This report shows the opposite:...