Why clean air must be central to the climate finance agenda

The document asserts that air pollution accelerates climate change and causes significant economic losses, yet receives less than 1% of global development spending. It argues that because many climate solutions also improve air quality at little extra cost, investors and governments should integrate air quality goals into climate finance tools like green bonds and low-cost loans. The text highlights that immediate health benefits from actions like shifting to electric vehicles or replacing coal stoves can increase public support for broader climate policies.

• Air pollution is a major driver of economic loss and mortality, with the World Health Organization estimating that it costs the global economy $5 trillion every year in welfare losses.
• Despite its impact, clean air is severely underfunded, receiving less than 1% of global development spending.
• Integrating air quality into climate finance is economically efficient because many climate mitigation strategies, such as transitioning to electric vehicles or closing coal plants, provide immediate health and productivity gains alongside long-term climate benefits.
• The document calls for the deployment of specific financial instruments, including social bonds, green bonds, and results-based funding, to support air quality projects, particularly in the most vulnerable and polluted countries.
• The Clean Air Fund provides examples of successful integrated action, such as the use of OpenAQ for real-time data collection in Mongolia and the replacement of coal stoves in Rybnik, Poland, to reduce both air pollution and greenhouse gases.

APA

Burston, J. (2025). Why clean air must be central to the climate finance agenda. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/why-clean-air-must-be-central-to-the-climate-finance-agenda/

Chicago

Burston, Jane. Why clean air must be central to the climate finance agenda. World Economic Forum, 2025. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/why-clean-air-must-be-central-to-the-climate-finance-agenda/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Burston |first1=Jane |title=Why clean air must be central to the climate finance agenda |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=13 January 2025 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/why-clean-air-must-be-central-to-the-climate-finance-agenda/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{burston2025why, author = {Burston, Jane}, title = {{Why clean air must be central to the climate finance agenda}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/why-clean-air-must-be-central-to-the-climate-finance-agenda/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }