Global Commitment for Air Quality

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 90% of people around the world breathe polluted air and that this is the cause, direct or indirect, of death of around 7 million people per year. In Brazil, the situation is no different. The main sources of air pollution in the country are the fires and the burning of fossil fuels in industrial activities and in private vehicles. Passive smoking is also an important source of indoor air pollution and it can have a major impact on the health of populations.

For the reasons stated above, the issue of air quality has gained relevance in the global scenario. WHO even promoted the first Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in 2018, taking the matter to the highest levels of world governance. At the meeting held in Geneva, national governments, municipalities, international organizations and representatives of civil societies discussed strategies to address the problem. The conference was not an isolated initiative. It is part of a large international movement of companies and governments to fight air pollution in pursuit a more sustainable development.

The UM 2030 Agenda

The 2030 Agenda is an action plan developed by the United Nations (UN) that reflects global objectives for the promotion of economic, social and environmental development by the year 2030. The plan outlines 17 Sustainable Development Goals with objectives and targets that countries can adopt according to their own priorities. Air quality appears as a cross-cutting matter and is dealt with through health-related targets and indicators, along with topics such as nutrition, violence, water and sanitation.

BreatheLife global campaign

Still in the realm of global governance, the BreatheLife campaign, organised in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Environment and the World Bank, mobilises communities across the globe to reduce the impact of air pollution on health and climate. It functions as a network that integrates cities and countries all over the world to empower individuals, expand monitoring and create demand for new solutions, while also sharing the best practices adopted to meet the UN and WHO 2030 air quality targets.

Private initiative

Not only international organisms take the matter of the quality of the air we breathe seriously. Companies around the world have taken initiative to adapt to society’s new demands, developing innovative products and improving their internal processes.

In the United States, for instance, 3M has designed a material capable of transforming ordinary roof tiles into tools to fight air pollution. The material is a type of granule, similar to those used in roofs coatings to help keep the environment cool. The big difference is that these granules have a photocatalytic coating that, when activated by sunlight, turn chemicals present in the air into water-soluble substances that can be easily washed.

The green walls of German start-up Green City Solutions are another example of innovative solution that improves air quality. They are made of a variety of types of moss and other kinds of plants that are fed by sunlight and rainwater. The designers claim the structure can absorb as much pollution as hundreds of trees while using a small fraction of the space, on top of having a cooling effect on the surrounding areas.

Other example of innovative solution comes from Arborea, an English start-up that is currently developing what they call the BioSolar Leaf. The BioSolar Leaf is a set of large panels covered by tiny plants which are capable of absorbing carbon dioxide and release oxygen at a rate equivalent of that of 100 trees. The system also works as a cultivation system that generates organic biomass from which plant-based food additives are extracted. The pilot project is under development at the Imperial College of London, which is funding the project.

In Mexico, the Absolut Street Trees initiative, with the support of French alcohol manufacturer Pernod Ricard, involves artists that paint huge murals in the country’s capital. They use paint can is capable of purifying the air in a process that is similar to photosynthesis. As the ink is exposed to sunlight, it reacts with the air absorbing gases and releasing oxygen to the atmosphere. According to the creators of the project, the paint will last up to ten years and the murals should neutralise the equivalent of the pollution created by about 60,000 vehicles a year.

In Brazil, companies such as Vale, Braskem and Natura have made a commitment to reduce their carbon emissions by 2030. The ambitious goal, in tune with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change, is to become carbon neutral companies by 2050. This means that, by this year, their carbon emissions will be neutralised or compensated with environmental initiatives. To achieve this goal, these companies are investing in energy efficiency, process improvements and new initiatives to reduce the environmental impacts of fuel burning, the main source of greenhouse gases emission and particulate pollution in these companies.

The topic must given top priority in political and economic planning for the decades to come. National, state and city governments, as well as companies all over the world, are directing their efforts to understanding and meeting the new demands that are arising and will not cease to do so. Any company or government that does make air quality a part of their strategic planning is lagging behind their global competitors.

References:

https://news.un.org/pt/story/2018/10/1645342