IEA report links 6.5m global deaths to air pollution
Print Edition
EACH year about 6.5 million deaths worldwide are linked to air pollution, a number that could grow in coming decades unless the energy sector steps up its efforts to slash emissions, the International Energy Agency warned yesterday.
In the Paris-based agency’s first report on the subject, the IEA said air pollution is the fourth biggest threat to human health, after high blood pressure, bad diets and smoking.
“Without changes to the way that the world produces and uses energy, the ruinous toll from air pollution on human life is set to rise,” it said.
Outdoor air pollution comes mainly from power plants, factories and cars while household pollution stems from dirty stoves, primarily in developing countries. About 3 million premature deaths are linked to outdoor air pollution and 3.5 million premature deaths to inhaling smoke from household stoves, the report said.
The latter number is likely to fall to 3 million in 2040 as access to cleaner-burning stoves improves in poor nations, IEA said. But it projected the toll linked to outdoor air would rise to 4.5 million, mainly in Asia, as growing demand for energy results in higher emissions.
“Air pollution in many of the region’s growing cities continues to be a major public health hazard,” the report said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
