Unless we change course, millions more people will die from toxic air.
Governments worldwide channelled far more aid into projects that prolong fossil fuel use than into tackling air pollution, according to a new report from Clean Air Fund.
In just one year, fossil fuel prolonging funding jumped 80 per cent to $9.5 billion, while clean air support fell by a fifth to $3.7 billion, leaving it stuck at around one per cent of international development finance.
In a new report, Clean Air Fund warns that, amid wider cuts to aid budgets, USAID shutting down, and US pressure on the World Bank to expand fossil fuel lending, it will be even harder to deliver on the global pledge to halve air pollution deaths by 2040.
Solve
Jane Burston, the chief executive of the Clean Air Fund, said: "This year, governments pledged to halve air pollution harm by 2040, but the money is still flowing the wrong way.
"With budgets already under pressure and the world’s largest development donor shutting down, we cannot afford to keep bankrolling fossil fuels.
"Unless we change course, millions more people will die from toxic air."
She added: "Investing in clean air is one of the fastest, most effective ways to protect health, strengthen economies and tackle climate change. Every dollar spent on fossil fuels pushes that goal further out of reach.”
Dr Dion George, South Africa’s minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment, is quoted in the report: “Air pollution is not inevitable. It is a problem we know how to solve. The tools exist. The benefits are immediate.
Funding
"As South Africa leads the G20 this year, my message is simple: let us ensure clean air becomes not a privilege for some, but a right enjoyed by all.”
Barbara Buchner, the global managing director of the Climate Policy Initiative, which co-authored the report, said: "Our work confirms that the opportunities are tremendous.
"With public budgets constrained, increasing air quality finance is one the most impactful investments that can achieve multiple goals - to address climate change, strengthen economies, and significantly improve daily life for millions globally.”
The report also shows that the limited funding available is highly unevenly distributed. The Philippines, Bangladesh and China received 65 per cent of outdoor air quality finance in 2023.
Meanwhile Sub-Saharan Africa saw a 91 per cent fall to just $11.8 million, equivalent to less than one per cent of all global outdoor air quality funding.
Priority
Outdoor air pollution kills 5.7 million people a year, a figure the World Bank projects will rise to 6.2 million by 2040 without stronger action. It is also responsible for an estimated 1.2 billion lost work days globally each year.
Unless we change course, millions more people will die from toxic air.
And 85 per cent of air pollution comes from burning fossil fuels and biomass.
Member states formally endorsed a voluntary target to halve the health impacts of anthropogenic air pollution by 2040, earlier in 2025 at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Health Assembly.
This is the first time air quality has been included in a WHO roadmap with a clear global health target tied to pollution reduction.
In parallel, under the presidency of South Africa, air quality was elevated as a standalone priority for the first time in the G20’s environment and climate workstream.
Fairer
The new report sets out a clear path for governments and development banks to reverse these trends and build on the political momentum created this year at the World Health Assembly and the G20.
It calls for clean air objectives to be embedded at the core of climate and development finance —so that existing funding achieves more, ensuring that every project delivers health as well as economic growth and emissions benefits.
It underlines the urgency of directing more resources to Africa and other regions currently left behind, where the pollution burden is high but funding is almost non-existent.
And it makes the case for a decisive end to aid that prolongs fossil fuel use, redirecting finance instead towards a fairer, cleaner transition. Unless donors take these steps, the landmark WHA pledge risks becoming an empty promise.
This Image
Luthuli Avenue, one of Nairobi’s busiest streets, is an example of a sustainable neighborhood planning project that improves well-being and reduces pollution.
The cycling lanes and the pedestrian walkways encourage non-motorized forms of mobility, reduce vehicular emissions, and improve the air quality and health of citizens.
The climate-proofed infrastructure averts urban flooding occurrences, promotes cool cities and enhances climate change resilience.
The air quality monitoring provides the evidence base to eventually create the first carbon neutral street in the region, signalling the potential of this project to lead towards a transformative impact on the fabric of the city.
The image was taken during the UrbanShift Africa Forum field trip to Luthuli Avenue.
Ahmed Nayim Yussuf / UNEP / Creative Commons 2.0.
This Author
Brendan Montague is an editor of The Ecologist.
