How much does air pollution cost?

This is revealed by a Greenpeace report, according to which every year 3,3% of the GDP is burned due to the combustion of coal, oil and gas.

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POLLUTION EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY

HOW MUCH DOES AIR POLLUTION COST?

Several studies estimate the economic damage, including in terms of national healthcare spending, of air pollution. According to a study by the European Environment Agency (EEA), the social and economic costs range between €277 and €433 billion, or between 2 and 3 percent of European GDP. Among the countries contributing most to this figure are Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, and Spain.

WHICH ARE THE MOST POLLUTING SECTORS?

As for the territorial division, the damage caused by pollution, and in particular by greenhouse gas emissions, is caused by energy consumption (77 percent), agriculture (10,55 percent), industrial processes (9 percent) and waste management (3,5 percent).

READ ALSO: Electromagnetic pollution: how to protect yourself

The cost of air pollution according to Greenpeace

According to Greenpeace 's report 'Toxic Air: The Cost of Fossil Fuels', every year the burning of coal, oil and gas destroys 3,3% of global GDP ($2900 trillion a year), or $8 billion a day.

Specifically, this form of pollution, according to the NGO, causes approximately 1,8 billion days of sick leave each year, in addition to deaths , which inevitably contribute to huge economic losses . Suffice it to say that, according to the report's calculations, unhealthy air causes 4,5 million premature deaths each year. This enormous number is also confirmed in Italy , where 56 people lose their lives every twelve months.

SMOG COST

Greenpeace also warns about future prospects. In many countries, instead of focusing entirely on renewable energy and clean-energy-reliant transportation systems, the transportation and fossil fuel industries continue to invest in outdated technologies . This is a choice that will cost our health and our communities dearly. In this regard, according to Federico Spadini , of Greenpeace Italy's Transport Campaign, "it is essential that the Italian government not backtrack on the 2025 coal phase-out, as the latest version of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) would seem to suggest."

POLLUTION AGENDA 2030

Abandoning the burning of coal, oil and gas in favour of renewable and low-impact energy would not only reduce air pollution, but also play a central role in keeping the increase in global temperature within the threshold of 1,5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, as foreseen by the UN 2030 Agenda . All objectives that would allow for fewer deaths, lower public health costs, fewer natural disasters and therefore a fairer and safer planet as well as a more flourishing world economy.

THE SMALL AND BIG BATTLES TO SAVE THE PLANET

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