2023 CleanAir NDC SCORECARD

The 2023 CleanAir NDC Scorecard reveals a significant gap between national climate pledges and the integration of air quality and health. While most NDCs mention air pollution, few quantify health impacts or set forward-looking targets. Low- and middle-income countries generally score higher than high-income nations, though many still face high air pollution mortality rates, highlighting a need for increased international finance to translate commitments into action.

• Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) demonstrate a higher level of integration of air quality into their NDCs than high-income countries, with an average score of 3.5/15 compared to 2.9/15.
• The top 15 scoring countries are dominated by LMICs, including Colombia and Mali (both scoring 12/15), while six countries—Bahrain, Nauru, North Korea, Palau, Saudi Arabia, and Solomon Islands—scored 0/15.
• There is a widespread failure to recognize the health impacts of air pollution in climate plans; fewer than one-third of the 170 analyzed NDCs refer to these impacts, meaning 6 billion people live in countries where these synergies are not recognized.
• Most NDCs lack rigorous monitoring and financial planning; only 32 refer to forward-looking targets or projections, and only 1 in 10 refer to financial or economic considerations regarding air quality.
• A disconnect exists between NDC commitments and actual health outcomes; for example, China scored 7/15 but maintains an air pollution mortality rate of 129.9 per 100,000 population, and India scored 2/15 with a mortality rate of 119.9 per 100,000.
• Major emitters and fossil fuel producers show a lack of interest in linking fossil fuel phase-out to health benefits, with the top ten per capita emitters scoring an average of only 2.4/15.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (2023). 2023 CleanAir NDC SCORECARD. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Clean-Air-NDC-Scorecard_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. 2023 CleanAir NDC SCORECARD. 2023. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Clean-Air-NDC-Scorecard_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=2023 CleanAir NDC SCORECARD |date=2023 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Clean-Air-NDC-Scorecard_FINAL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalclimateandhealthalliance20232023, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{2023 CleanAir NDC SCORECARD}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2023}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Clean-Air-NDC-Scorecard_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }