UN agency warns air pollution and climate change locked in vicious cycle
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that air pollution and climate change are fueling each other
NEW YORK, United States (MNTV) — The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that air pollution and climate change are fueling each other in a vicious cycle that endangers global health, economies, and ecosystems.
The warning came in the WMO’s latest Air Quality and Climate Bulletin, released ahead of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies on Sept. 7.
“Climate change and air quality cannot be addressed in isolation. They go hand-in-hand and must be tackled together in order to protect the health of our planet, our communities and our economies,” said WMO Deputy Secretary General Ko Barrett.
According to the bulletin, fossil fuel burning and other human activities that drive climate change also produce harmful pollutants such as black carbon, nitrous oxide, and ground-level ozone. These pollutants damage human health while worsening global warming. Ambient air pollution alone is linked to more than 4.5 million premature deaths each year worldwide, the WMO noted.
“Climate impacts and air pollution respect no national borders — as exemplified by intense heat and drought, which fuel wildfires, worsening air quality for millions of people. We need improved international monitoring and collaboration to meet this global challenge,” Barrett added.
The bulletin said particulate matter (PM2.5) levels in eastern China have declined thanks to mitigation measures. In contrast, northern India remains a pollution hotspot, while wildfire activity pushed PM2.5 above average in Canada, Siberia, central Africa, and especially the Amazon basin, which recorded unprecedented fires in 2024.
The WMO warned that wildfires are set to become an even greater source of particle pollution as the climate warms, posing mounting risks for health, infrastructure, and ecosystems. It added that persistent fog, once a seasonal event, is now a symptom of escalating human impact on the environment.
The report highlighted the complex role of aerosols — tiny airborne particles that can either cool or warm the atmosphere. Black and brown carbon accelerate warming, while sulphates reflect sunlight but return as acid rain. Although aerosol levels have fallen in Europe, North America, and East Asia, they are rising in South Asia, South America, and northern latitudes due to more frequent wildfires.
International regulations reducing sulphur emissions in shipping fuels have improved air quality and cut premature deaths, but also weakened the cooling effect of sulphates, slightly accelerating global warming.
The WMO warned that the Indo-Gangetic Plain — home to more than 900 million people — faces worsening winter fog episodes caused by vehicle emissions, construction, and crop burning. It urged countries to expand ground-based air monitoring networks, especially in developing regions, to improve forecasting and strengthen global cooperation.
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