According to the new report released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) on Monday, called ‘Hidden Assets: The Economic and Health Case for Climate and Clean Air Action’ Delhi can reduce its PM 2.5 exposure by 20 per cent by 2040 if it meets the current national air quality standards on schedule from 2026.
The report mentioned that if reaching the standards is delayed by about eight years, which is the average delay expected globally, then the reduction could drop to 10 per cent, resulting in substantial impact on health over the years.
The report contains 25 solutions to address climate and clean-air action. The measures are feasible, such as renewable power and energy efficiency, increasing clean cooking and heating solutions, and tighter vehicle emission and efficiency standards.
The annual economic benefits of implementing those measures would be equivalent to 2.8 per cent of global GDP in 2035, 4.5 per cent of the global GDP in 2050, and 11.4 per cent of the global GDP in 2100, according to the analysis.
The annual value of implementation of these measures will be 2.8 per cent of global GDP by 2035, 4.5 per cent of global GDP by 2050, and 11.4 per cent of global GDP by 2100, according to the report. Each year of delayed action means renouncing more than 0.5 per cent of the world’s GDP in benefits, which is valued at more than USD 1.5 trillion.
“Strengthening enabling conditions — economic, social, technological and institutional — can bring all 25 solutions fully into place up to a decade sooner, substantially boosting reductions in PM2.5 and ozone precursors over the 2025-2050 period,” the report says.
7.5 to 8 years of delay in implementation are expected globally on average, where institutional barriers form the most important reason for delays, making up 2.4 years out of a 15-year implementation period.
