NEW YORK - The UN Secretary-General marked ‘Clean Air Day’ with a call for global investment in solutions that tackle climate change and the increasing public health, environmental, and economic harm caused by air pollution.

In a statement carried by UN News, António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, said pollution is a silent killer that can be stopped and urged the world to “invest now, so we can breathe easy”.

Guterres highlighted how harmful pollution can be, noting that 99 percent of humanity breathes polluted air, leading to millions of global premature deaths.

“Pollution is also choking economies and heating up our planet, adding fuel to the fire of the climate crisis,” the UN chief said. “And it disproportionally affects those most vulnerable in society, including women, children, and older persons.”

The Secretary-General said investing in clean air will take action from governments, businesses, development organisations, and more at regional and global levels.

Guterres is encouraging the relevant stakeholders to decrease their use of fossil fuels, transition to clean cooking and increase air quality monitoring.

“​​Investing in clean air saves lives, combats climate change, strengthens economies, builds fairer societies, and advances the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said. “...let’s invest now so we can breathe easy knowing we are securing a healthier planet for all.”

Guterres’ message marking the international day highlights some of the challenges outlined in a new report from the UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which details the impacts of climate change, wildfires and air pollution on human health.

The report noted that both the northern and southern hemispheres experienced “hyper-active wildfire seasons” in 2023 which caused numerous deaths and damaged livestock.

"The 2023 wildfire season set a multi-decade record in Canada in terms of total area burned, with seven times more hectares burned than the 1990–2013 average, according to the Canadian National Fire Database,” the report said.

The wildfires also worsened air quality in eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States.

This year’s International Day for Clean Air and Blue Skies, celebrated annually on 7th September, is focused on the theme ‘Invest in Clean Air Now’ and highlights the economic, environmental and health benefits of investing in clean air.

The Day was established in 2019 after the UN General Assembly noted how detrimental air pollutants are and recognised the importance of clean air for people’s lives.