The UN says that tackling air pollution and climate change together will save millions of lives, reduce global warming and generate roughly $15 in economic benefits for every $1 spent.

By using renewable energy, electric vehicles and clean fuel sources for cooking, the combination of efforts produces a ‘multiplier effect’ with higher returns than addressing climate change and air pollution separately, because many of the same sectors and pollutants drive both crises.

The report 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 proven measures and policy reforms.

“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: clean air is a key driver of development, health, food and energy security, and climate stability – an asset we must invest in.”

The report, Hidden assets: The economic and health case for climate and clean air action, estimates that annual benefits from implementing 25 suggested measures would be equivalent to 2.8 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2035, 4.5 per cent in 2050 and 11.4 per cent in 2100.

The climate benefits would be substantial. The measures would avoid approximately 0.34C of global warming by 2050 and 1.4C by the year 2100. By 2050, full implementation of the 25 measures could cumulatively prevent 144 million air-pollution-related premature deaths, including 96 million from ambient air pollution alone, as well as hundreds of millions of cases of chronic disease.

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