UN health agency sets higher, tougher bar for air quality

The World Health Organization is setting a higher bar for policymakers and the public in its first update to its air quality guidelines in 15 years

GENEVA -- The World Health Organization says the negative health impacts of poor air quality kick in at lower levels than it previously thought and is setting a higher bar for policymakers and the public in its first update to its air quality guidelines in 15 years.

The U.N. health agency released its revised Air Quality Guidelines on Wednesday as climate change is a leading topic at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced Tuesday that China will no longer fund power plants fired by coal, which generates several of the pollutants covered by the guidelines.

Since the last update of the WHO recommendations, better monitoring and science has cleared up the global picture about the impact of six major air pollutants on human health. According to the agency, 90% of the world’s people already live in areas with at least one particularly harmful type of pollutant.

The revisions also highlight another – and often parallel – aspect to environmental concerns beyond widespread worries about global warming and the impact of burning fossil fuels.