Bishkek, Sept. 12, 2025. /Kabar/. Billions of people in the world breathe polluted air. This leads to more than 4.5 million premature deaths every year. UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported.
Lorenzo Labrador, a scientist at the organization, commented on the results of the study: Air quality respects no boundaries. The smoke and the pollution that issues from the wildfires in this record-breaking season in the Iberian Peninsula has been detected over Western Europe already [and]…can travel basically throughout the rest of the European continent.”
The report noted that at the same time, air pollution emissions have decreased in some regions, especially in Eastern China and Europe. For example, in Shanghai, new parks have been built, trees have been planted, and many people have switched to electric vehicles.
However, most cities in the world do not meet the World Health Organization's air quality standards. Therefore, it is noted that air pollution remains a major threat to public health.
Although sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) have decreased, ground-level ozone levels have not. This is the result of chemical reactions in the atmosphere in the presence of global warming and sunlight.
The WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin emphasizes that climate change and air quality are closely linked, and calls for a joint approach to addressing these issues.
The UN is leading efforts to tackle household air pollution which is one of the world’s greatest public health threats and particularly harmful for children.
WMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that collects data and conducts research on global climate, weather, water resources and air quality.