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Fast-expanding cities could free up billions of dollars, prevent 1,000s of deaths and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20% by 2040 with measures to tackle dirty air.
Study shows clear case for urban planning which prioritises clean air as an engine for fast, fair and sustainable growth as powerhouses like Cairo, Lagos, Johannesburg, and Accra rise in global prominence.
Joined-up action to tackle air pollution alongside climate change solutions will deliver immediate health and economic benefits and help tackle wider development challenges.
True gains are likely to be far higher as the wider impact of Africa’s second biggest killer becomes better researched and understood.
Donor governments spent 36 times more aid on prolonging fossil fuel use in Africa than tackling air pollution from 2015-21.
Four of Africa’s fastest growing cities could free up over $20 billion between them by 2040 with urban planning policies that tackle air pollution, new research from the Clean Air Fund shows. The financial gains come on top of multiple other benefits such as saving lives, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling poverty and inequality.
The world is preparing for the “Africa COP” in Egypt, where debate will focus on financing a just transition away from fossil fuel led growth. Air pollution is the second biggest killer in Africa after HIV/AIDS, but remains massively overlooked by policy makers and funders, receiving less than 1% of official development assistance between 2015 and 2021. Like climate change, it is largely caused by burning fossil fuels, so these problems can be tackled together. Yet from 2015-21 donor governments spent 36 times more on prolonging fossil fuel use in Africa than tackling air pollution.
The Clean Air Fund’s Country Lead for Ghana, Desmond Appiah said: “Africa’s rise is led by its great cities. The decisions made now will determine how fast and how fair their growth will be, and how long it will last. These findings show that cleaning the air is critical in building strong, healthy, inclusive economies that can power the carbon neutral markets and workforces of the future. Clean growth, supported by the international community, that avoids the devastating health and environmental consequences of fossil-fuel led urbanisation is now the better economic option too.”
“From pollution to solution: The case for tackling air pollution alongside climate change in Africa’s cities” maps the health, economic and climate impacts of increasing air pollution along a “business as usual” growth path. It then contrasts this with an alternative scenario in which cities implement clean air measures as they grow, such as upgrading public transport, introducing cleaner cookstoves and industrial technology and energy, and making land clearance and waste management more environmentally-friendly.
It estimates that Cairo, Lagos, Johannesburg and Accra could save over 125,000 lives, unlock $20bn for their economies, and cut emissions by around 20% between now and 2040. By extension, it also suggests that similar gains could be achieved in other major cities experiencing exponential growth across Africa and elsewhere. In reality, the true gains of prioritising air pollution action are likely to be far higher. This is because the research only calculates the economic benefits of improved health and life expectancy and working days lost due to the effects of air pollution and does not take into account other costs, such as medical care..
The report breaks down the potential gains cities could see from taking these steps, for example:
In Lagos implementation of such policies could create efficiencies of up to $12.5billion and save over 64,000 lives between 2023-2040.
Cairo would also see major benefits, including preventing over 52,000 premature deaths associated with the effects of air pollution between 2023-2040, and significant GHG reductions (with a reduction of 12% in 2040 alone).
In Accra, the cumulative impact of clean air measures on air pollution could raise $250m and save over 3,000 lives between 2023-2040.
In Johannesburg, the action on air pollution could potentially generate the city around $1bn over the next twenty years (2023-2040).
Desmond Appiah said: “Action on air pollution does so much more than limit the damage of fossil-fuelled growth. It can underwrite a new model of development that is better for people’s health, for society and for the planet. To build the Africa we want, we need national and city governments to join the dots and use clean air and climate solutions as catalysts.”
The report calls for:
Cities to Commit to the C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration and planning framework, and improve tracking and reporting systems to provide data and evidence which supports an integrated approach to emission control actions.
National governments to review high-emitting sectors like energy, transport, industrial and power production to identify ways to reduce air pollution; prioritise health and climate gains in infrastructure and service investments; and make action on air pollution an explicit priority in climate action and sustainable development activities.
Funders to increase Official Development Assistance and other grant-based funding for air quality programmes, focusing especially on overlooked regions like Africa, and to divert support from fossil-fuel investments towards renewables.
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