by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that the developing world, as well as the most developed economies are failing to do their part in maintaining outdoor air quality standards.
Following the first-ever global assessment of air quality laws and regulations, the UN agency found that at least one-third of countries across the globe do not have no legally mandated regulations in this regard, and that even if they do, such standards are often misaligned with the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Accordingly, the UNEP made a case for considering a global treaty on ambient air standards, noting that there is insufficient interest among the international community to tackle, what has been identified by the WHO as the single largest environmental health risk. “Monitoring is critical to knowing if standards are being attained but are not legally required in at least 37 per cent of countries,” the report read. “Finally, although air pollution knows no borders, only 31 per cent of countries have legal mechanisms to address cross-border air pollution.”
According to the UN’s public health agency, 92 per cent of the world’s population living in states and territories where air pollution levels exceed the safe limit. This, the WHO notes, is disproportionately affecting women, children, and the elderly, particularly in low-income countries.
