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The document analyzes how socio-economic disadvantages drive air pollution and increase vulnerability to its health impacts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting the specific risks faced by women, the elderly, and Roma communities.

The United States aims to reduce carbon pollution to at least 50-52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. RMI asserts that this is achievable by immediately phasing out fossil fuel infrastructure and scaling three primary solutions: renewables (wind, solar, and batteries), electrification (electric vehicles and heat pumps), and holistic efficiency. The document emphasizes that cumulative emissions are the critical metric for limiting warming to 1.5°C and that the transition will provide significant public health benefits, job creation, and social equity, particularly for historically disadvantaged communities.

The testimony argues that US fossil fuel subsidies primarily increase excess profits rather than creating jobs, undermine global climate goals, and contribute to public health crises and environmental inequalities.

The document advocates for replacing the approximately 480,000 diesel-powered school buses in the United States with zero-emission electric alternatives. It highlights that while electric buses have higher initial procurement costs—nearly triple those of diesel buses—they offer lower operational and maintenance costs, saving schools an estimated $2,000 in fuel and $4,400 in maintenance annually. The author supports the Clean Commute for Kids Act, which proposes $25 billion over 10 years, and the American Jobs Plan, which aims to electrify at least 20% of the fleet with a $20 billion investment. The transition is framed as a necessity for public health, as diesel exhaust is a known carcinogen and pollution levels inside buses can be 10 times ambient levels, negatively impacting children's lung development and cognitive performance. Furthermore, the document asserts that this shift would address racial and economic inequities, as communities of color in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions face 66% higher exposure to vehicle air pollution than white residents, and would stimulate domestic manufacturing jobs at companies like Blue Bird in Georgia and Thomas Built in North Carolina.

The report estimates that retiring four nuclear plants in Illinois would lead to 1,200 to 2,700 premature deaths and $10 to $24 billion in monetized damages over ten years. Retiring two plants (Byron and Dresden) would result in 500 to 1,100 premature deaths and $4.4 to $10 billion in damages over the same period. These impacts are driven by increased PM2.5 emissions from fossil fuel plants used to offset the loss of zero-emission generation.

The Clean Air Task Force asserts that draft rules from the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) contain exemptions that would allow a large portion of oil and gas sites to avoid emissions reduction requirements. By analyzing NMED's own helicopter flyover surveys from 2019 and 2020, the authors found that at least 57% of sites with large, visible emissions would be exempt under the draft rules, specifically those with calculated potential volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions of less than 15 tons per year.

The report analyzes air quality around 270 schools in Bengaluru, finding that PM2.5 levels frequently exceed WHO and US EPA standards, particularly during school departure times and winter months. It links this pollution to increased childhood asthma and respiratory issues, and recommends policy interventions such as restricting heavy traffic around schools and increasing monitoring networks.

The submission argues that South Africa's draft NDC targets are insufficiently ambitious, aligning with a 3°C temperature increase rather than the 1.5°C or 2°C goals necessary to protect public health. It highlights the severe health risks posed by climate change in South Africa, including drought, heat, and infectious diseases, and notes that coal-fired power stations cause over 2,200 deaths annually. The authors advocate for a 'green' recovery from COVID-19, urging a shift from fossil fuel investments toward renewable energy and a commitment to phase out coal by 2034. The document proposes specific co-benefit policies in energy (e.g., adopting the Climate Justice Charter), food and agriculture (e.g., incentivizing urban agriculture), and transportation (e.g., electrifying public transit) to simultaneously reduce emissions and improve health outcomes.

The report demonstrates that the U.S. can achieve 80% clean electricity by 2030 without increasing wholesale electricity costs or compromising grid dependability. This transition would require 950 GW of new wind and solar capacity and 227 GW of battery storage, necessitating $1.5 trillion in clean energy capital investments. The '80% Clean' scenario avoids $1.7 trillion in health and environmental damages and 93,000 premature deaths through 2050 compared to a 'No New Policy' case. The analysis concludes that such a target is feasible and critical for enabling broader economy-wide decarbonization of transportation, buildings, and industry to align with a 1.5°C warming limit.

The document analyzes the fiscal challenges facing Indonesia, specifically its low tax-to-GDP ratio and the burden of fuel subsidies. It uses India's experience—where gasoline and diesel subsidies were phased out and replaced by flexible excise duties—as a blueprint for Indonesia. The authors recommend that Indonesia implement a fixed fuel tax to raise revenue for social programs and pandemic recovery, suggesting that such a measure is more politically viable in the short term than immediate subsidy elimination.

The document analyzes how Nordic countries have used environmental fiscal reform (EFR)—specifically carbon, energy, and pollution taxes—to decouple economic growth from emissions. It highlights the use of revenue recycling to maintain productivity and the implementation of 'carrot-and-stick' strategies, such as vehicle registration taxes and EV subsidies, to reduce transport emissions. The brief concludes that EFR can generate significant revenue and green jobs without hindering GDP growth, provided that revenues are spent productively and the poor are protected from rising energy costs.

The document highlights the severe health disparities caused by vehicle air pollution in Latinx and other communities of color across the United States, noting that Latinx people are twice as likely as white Americans to visit emergency rooms for asthma. It advocates for a national transition to electric vehicles, including phasing out new fossil fuel vehicle sales by 2035 and electrifying all vehicles by 2050. The author calls for targeted investments in clean public transit and the electrification of medium and heavy-duty trucks to achieve environmental justice.

A March 2021 survey of 1,037 American adults reveals that 70% believe global warming is happening and 57% attribute it primarily to human activity. While 64% of respondents express worry about global warming and 65% feel a personal responsibility to reduce it, social engagement remains low, with 67% rarely or never discussing the topic with family and friends. The report also highlights a gap in understanding scientific consensus, as only 22% recognize that over 90% of climate scientists agree on human-caused warming. Perceived risks are highest for future generations and plant and animal species, while a majority of Americans believe extreme weather poses a moderate to high risk to their local communities.

The March 2021 report 'Climate Change in the American Mind' finds that 70% of Americans believe global warming is happening, with 57% attributing it primarily to human activity. While 64% of respondents express worry about global warming and 65% feel a personal responsibility to reduce it, social engagement remains low, with 67% rarely or never discussing the topic with family and friends. The report also highlights a gap in scientific literacy, as only 22% of Americans recognize that over 90% of climate scientists agree on human-caused warming. Perceived risks are highest for future generations (71%) and plant and animal species (71%), while 55% of Americans believe extreme weather poses a moderate to high risk to their local community over the next decade.

The policy brief examines the critical link between environmental degradation and human health, framing the COVID-19 pandemic as a consequence of neglecting these interconnections. It argues that a 'green recovery' requires breaking down policy silos between health and environment ministries and integrating health co-benefits into climate and biodiversity finance. The document highlights the high economic and human costs of pollution, zoonotic diseases, and inefficient food systems, proposing a transdisciplinary 'planetary health' framework to guide sustainable development and safeguard against future global health crises.

The document examines the limitations of current US federal EV tax credits, which primarily benefit high-income households, and proposes reforms such as point-of-sale rebates, used-EV incentives, and income-tiered programs to accelerate adoption among low- and moderate-income communities.

The Clean Air Task Force proposes that the Biden-Harris Administration should increase domestic carbon reduction commitments to reach net-zero by mid-century, fully utilize Department of Energy funding for advanced technologies, implement a 24-7 clean electricity procurement strategy for federal facilities, and establish rigorous EPA regulations for power plants and methane emissions.

The document argues for a broad interpretation of 'legitimate interest' in environmental litigation, asserting that any person with a link to a vulnerable ecosystem service—even if indirect or remote—should have legal standing. It specifically applies this to the expansion of the Port of Veracruz, detailing how the project threatens the Veracruz Reef System (SAV) through sedimentation, destruction of coastal dunes, water pollution, and air degradation, thereby violating the human right to a healthy environment.

The document advocates for a specific amendment to the UK Environment Bill to ensure the country adopts the 2005 WHO air quality guidelines for PM2.5, which recommend an annual mean concentration of no more than 10 µg/m3. It argues that current UK legal limits, derived from EU Directives, are twice as high as WHO recommendations and are insufficient to protect public health. The briefing highlights that approximately 15 million people in the UK live in areas exceeding WHO guidelines, including 8,549 schools and colleges. It asserts that achieving these targets by 2030 is technically feasible, citing Defra and King's College London analysis, and argues that setting these parameters on the face of the Bill prevents delays in target-setting that would otherwise occur until October 2022.

Thailand is promoting a bioeconomy centered on cassava and sugarcane to drive economic growth and social equity, though the industrial sector is more advanced than community-based efforts. While integrated into policies like Thailand 4.0 and the 20-year National Strategic Plan, the transition faces regulatory hurdles, such as the Cane and Sugar Act (1968), and environmental pressures including land and water scarcity. Social challenges include wage inequality for plantation workers and food security risks for farmers shifting from rice to sugarcane.