EU Statement – UN General Assembly: International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies

Mister Chair, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

Let me start by thanking the organisers of today’s commemoration and the panelists for the interesting discussion. On this International Day of Clean Air, it is important to remind ourselves that clean air policy matters. Air pollution continues to be the biggest environmental risk to human health worldwide. The WHO informs us that poor air quality causes some 7 million premature deaths each year and that it affects the lives of many more by triggering or amplifying chronic illnesses. Air pollution also has significant environmental impacts, impacting both natural ecosystems and agricultural yields. All this results in significant costs to our economies and societies.

The good news is that we can change this. We see that where action on clean air is taken, it delivers. In Europe we have seen major improvements in air quality since the 1990s. In the period 2005 to 2022, for example, the number of premature deaths attributable to air pollution has decreased by 45%. We are currently taking steps to further bring down air pollution levels. Last year we revised the EU’s air quality legislation, taking into account guidelines established by the WHO. And this year, we are finalizing an evaluation of the EU National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive that covers five important air pollutants.

These policies feed into our efforts to also reduce air pollution together with our regional partners. Parties to the Air Convention decided in December 2023 to revise the Gothenburg Protocol, which remains the only binding regional-level treaty regulating major air pollutant emissions. In the context of Gothenburg Protocol revision discussion, Parties will also consider further outreach to other Conventions and to other regions, notably on issues like methane and biodiversity. This offers potential to enhance the Air Convention´s contribution towards addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. It is also entirely consistent with the EU Zero Pollution vision.

We also welcome additional efforts to enhance cooperation on this issue across the globe, as global problems require global solutions. An important example last year was the adoption of a new resolution on air pollution at UNEA-6. This year, in June, we also agreed to establish the Intergovernmental Science-policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution, thereby demonstrating that environmental multilateralism can deliver. However, we need all hands on deck to continue to address the pollution crisis and we therefore continue to strive for the UN General Assembly to pay greater attention to pollution in all its dimensions.

In conclusion, let me reiterate that the EU and its Member States will continue to invest in clean air, looking to cooperate and optimise these investments with our international partners. We also remain open and committed to policy exchanges on best practice, including via the new platform of UNEA, through bilateral and regional exchanges, and at the level of the UN General Assembly.

I thank you.