With extreme air pollution events on the rise, global efforts to reduce pollution and its effects will receive an advocacy boost when, for the first time ever, the world marks the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies. Otherwise celebrated on September 7, the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly had asked for this day to be observed on December 19, 2019, in order to build awareness on clean air for health, productivity, economy and environment at all levels – individual, community, corporate and government.
To mark this day, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has unveiled a new analysis, asking for a ‘green’ recovery strategy to help maintain and even exceed the level of ambition under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), about 20-30% reduction in particulate pollution in non-attainment cities by 2024. The analysis presents examples from two critical next-generation strategies in the transportation sector – bus transport and electrification of the vehicular fleet, to underscore the importance of accelerated roadmap for the greening of mobility infrastructure and zero emissions transition in the automotive sector.
The note says, “While air quality has improved by default during the pandemic, the systems needed for sustaining this air quality improvement are under severe economic stress. Without a strategy for green recovery, the goals laid down by the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) cannot be met.” It has also called for designing a stimulus package to meet clean air goals.
“Around the world, nine out of every ten people breathe unclean air,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message for the Day. “The extent of this challenge requires decisive action on the part of governments, businesses and communities to end reliance on fossil fuels in favour of clean affordable renewable energy. On the first-ever International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, let us commit to no new coal for a cleaner, greener economy and better health for all.”
CSE called for building ambition for zero-emission targets by promoting electric vehicles, tightening fuel efficiency standards to require electric vehicle transition, linking scrappage policy with electric vehicle transition and the need for state governments to set milestones to implement electric vehicle policy.
