UN Experts Warn of Global Air Pollution Crisis, Highlight Wildfire Smoke Impact

Billions worldwide continue to breathe polluted air, causing over 4.5 million premature deaths annually, as UN climate experts warned on Friday. Microscopic smoke particles from wildfires can travel halfway across the globe, affecting regions far from the source.

“Air quality respects no boundaries,” said Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), noting that smoke from record-breaking wildfires in the Iberian Peninsula has already been detected across Western Europe and may spread further. WMO’s latest Air Quality and Climate Bulletin shows severe PM2.5 pollution hotspots in Chile, Brazil, Ecuador, Canada, central Africa, and Siberia.

Climate change is intensifying wildfire seasons, making them longer and more destructive. While emissions have decreased in regions such as eastern China and Europe due to measures like tree planting and electric vehicles, most cities still fail to meet WHO-recommended air quality levels. Ground-level ozone, a major smog component, remains a persistent problem linked to global warming.

“Climate change and air quality cannot be addressed in isolation. They must be tackled together to protect our planet and communities,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.

UN-led initiatives, such as the Climate and Clean Air Coalition and the UNECE’s Air Convention, have demonstrated success in improving air quality, particularly in Europe, where emissions reductions have added nearly a year to life expectancy. Experts hope other regions, especially in Asia and South America, can adopt similar policies to combat air pollution.