Asia acts on air quality as Europe ignores its mess
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FOREIGN VIEWS
European policymakers like to lecture the rest of the world on air pollution. Asia, and China in particular, is a favorite target for criticism. Indeed, it sometimes seems as if no major environmental conference is complete without a presentation by European policymakers on their continent鈥檚 supposed 鈥渂est practices,鈥 which the rest of the world should emulate. When it comes to air pollution, however, Europe might consider doing less talking and more listening.
Air pollution is a growing concern across Europe. The World Health Organization has called it the continent鈥檚 鈥渟ingle largest environmental health risk,鈥 estimating that 90 percent of Europe鈥檚 citizens are exposed to outdoor pollution that exceeds WHO air-quality guidelines. In 2010, some 600,000 European citizens died prematurely because of outdoor and indoor air pollution, and the economic costs have been put at US$1.6 trillion, roughly 9 percent of the European Union鈥檚 GDP.
London and Paris suffer from particularly severe air-quality problems. Nitrogen dioxide levels in some parts of London regularly reach 2-3 times the recommended limit. In the United Kingdom, air pollution kills some 29,000 people a year, putting it second only to smoking as a cause of premature death. Paris may be even worse off; in March, after air-pollution levels surpassed Shanghai鈥檚, the city imposed a partial driving ban and introduced free public transportation.
Reluctance to act
Sadly, Europe鈥檚 policymakers do not seem up to the challenge. George Osborne, the UK鈥檚 chancellor of the exchequer, has argued against British leadership in the fight against climate change. 鈥淲e are not going to save the planet by shutting down our steel mills, aluminum smelters, and paper manufacturers,鈥 he declared in 2011.
Osborne is not alone. With European politicians arguing that introducing environmental safeguards will hurt the EU鈥檚 already-weakened economy, it comes as little surprise that measures to limit air pollution fall far short of the mark. The EU鈥檚 proposed standards regulating toxic emissions from coal plants are even less strict than China鈥檚, Greenpeace reports. Yet various European politicians have called for watering them down even further, with Hungary suggesting that they be scrapped altogether.
To be sure, air pollution levels in Asia are truly worrisome. The continent is home to nine of the world鈥檚 ten most polluted countries, according to Yale University鈥檚 2014 Air Quality Ranking. New Delhi is ranked as the most polluted city on earth, with air pollution exceeding safe levels by a factor of 60.
China鈥檚 example
But at least policymakers in Asia have recognized the problem and are taking steps to address it. China, for example, has declared a 鈥渨ar on pollution.鈥 By 2017, Beijing, once dubbed 鈥淕reyjing鈥 by the international media, will spend some 760 billion yuan (US$121 billion) to combat air pollution.
Meanwhile, in India, the state governments in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu are about to launch the world鈥檚 first cap-and-trade schemes for particulates. India鈥檚 Supreme Court even suggested an extra charge on privately owned diesel vehicles in New Delhi.
Other parts of Asia are also taking steps to improve air quality.
Vietnam aims to construct eight urban rail lines in the coming years. Bangkok, which has been tackling air pollution since the 1990s, has planted 400,000 trees. And Japan is offering subsidies for hydrogen cars and creating new pedestrian-only areas.
Europe, as one of the world鈥檚 wealthiest regions, ought to be at the forefront of the effort to promote environmental sustainability. When it comes to air pollution, however, Europe鈥檚 policymakers should stop preaching to others and focus on fixing their own problems.
Asit K. Biswas is Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. Julian Kirchherr is a researcher at University of Oxford. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2015.
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