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The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting for the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), submitted formal objections to ArcelorMittal South Africa's (AMSA) application for an alternative SO2 emission limit at its Vanderbijlpark Works. The objections argue that granting a limit of 1,500 mg/Nm³—three times the legal standard of 500 mg/Nm³—would violate constitutional rights to a healthy environment, ignore the conversion of SO2 into dangerous particulate matter (PM), and prioritize corporate cost-savings over public health in a known pollution hotspot.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the disproportionate impact of air pollution on children under five, highlighting how structural economic dependencies on fossil fuels and polluting infrastructure drive a global environmental justice crisis. It details the physiological vulnerabilities of children, the link between maternal exposure and lifelong chronic diseases, and provides case studies from South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, and Bangladesh to illustrate the specific drivers of child mortality and morbidity.

This report by Energy Innovation analyzes the projected impacts of a proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding and repeal greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for new vehicles. Using the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS), the analysis finds that such a repeal would lead to significant economic losses, increased household energy costs, and higher rates of premature death due to increased air pollution between 2026 and 2050.

This briefing by RMI outlines the economic, health, and environmental benefits of transitioning over 10 million US homes that rely on delivered fuels (oil and propane) to electric heat pumps. It provides data on potential energy savings, carbon pollution reduction, and recommends specific policy interventions and outreach strategies to accelerate this transition.

This briefing details a judgment by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) delivered on 11 April 2025, which affirmed that poor air quality in South Africa's Highveld Priority Area breaches constitutional rights. The court ruled that the Minister of Environmental Affairs has a legal duty to prescribe regulations under section 20 of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act 39 of 2004 (NEM:AQA) to implement and enforce the Highveld Priority Area Air Quality Management Plan, finding that the Minister had unreasonably delayed in doing so.

This document contains the heads of argument filed by Lephalale Coal Mine (Pty) Ltd (LCM) in the High Court of South Africa. LCM responds to a review application by Earthlife Africa seeking to set aside environmental authorisations for a proposed coal mine in Limpopo Province. LCM concedes that its original climate change impact assessment was insufficient and agrees that the related decision should be reviewed and set aside, but opposes all other grounds of review regarding air quality, health impacts, cumulative impacts, and public consultation.

The World Resources Institute's research paper examines the barriers and motivators for electric school bus (ESB) adoption across U.S. school districts, highlighting that geography and locale are more significant drivers of district needs than priority status based on demographics or pollution exposure.

RMI's briefing analyzes the cost-effectiveness of transitioning from gas-burning heating and water heating equipment to electric heat pumps in Southern California. The analysis finds that current and upcoming state, local, and utility incentives can make heat pumps cheaper than conventional gas equipment, even without federal funding, though fragmented application processes and limited funding levels hinder widespread adoption.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) has written to the Metro Vancouver Board urging them to maintain funding for climate policy coordination and greenhouse gas regulation. CAPE argues that these services, which represent 1% of the 2025 budget, are essential for public health and the success of the Climate 2050 strategy, particularly given the high costs of climate-related disasters and the health impacts of air pollution and extreme heat in British Columbia.

A letter from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) to the Metro Vancouver Board urging the maintenance of funding for regional climate policy coordination and greenhouse gas regulation to protect public health and meet climate commitments.

These conference proceedings document a World Resources Institute (WRI) retreat held in Bogota, Colombia, from January 27th to 31st, 2025. The event aimed to integrate WRI's electromobility and air quality teams in Latin America to develop coordinated strategies and funding proposals that address urban pollution and decarbonization, with a specific focus on vulnerable populations.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of groundWork and Earthlife Africa, submits a formal objection to Eskom's application for exemptions from Minimum Emission Standards (MES) for eight coal-fired power stations under section 59 of the Air Quality Act (AQA). The submission argues that these exemptions violate the constitutional right to a healthy environment, particularly for residents in Priority Areas, and that Eskom has failed to justify its 14-year delay in achieving compliance.

This briefing by the Centre for Environmental Rights evaluates Eskom's November 2024 request for Minimum Emission Standards (MES) exemptions for eight power stations. The authors argue that Eskom's cost-benefit analysis is fundamentally flawed, systematically underestimating the health benefits of compliance while prioritizing financial savings over public health and international air quality standards.

This fact sheet by the World Resources Institute details the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) negotiated between Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler) and the city of Detroit for the $2.5-billion expansion of the Jefferson North Assembly Plant. The agreement, triggered by Detroit's Community Benefits Ordinance (CBO), provided $13.8 million in community investments and nearly 5,000 jobs, though community members have since criticized the negotiation timeline, the sufficiency of the benefits, and the effectiveness of enforcement regarding air quality violations.

This executive summary from the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes international development funding for outdoor air quality projects from 2018 to 2022. It highlights a chronic underfunding of clean air efforts, which represent only 1% of total international development funding, and notes a significant imbalance in funding distribution and a reliance on loans over grants.

This document consists of two distinct parts: a supplemental expert report by Dr. Ranajit (Ron) Sahu evaluating the air quality impact assessment (AQIA) for the proposed Lephalale Coal Mine, and a comprehensive Spatial Development Framework (SDF) for the Lephalale Local Municipality. Dr. Sahu concludes that the mine will cause substantial adverse particulate matter (PM) impacts, exceeding national standards even with mitigation. The SDF section provides a long-term spatial plan for the municipality, focusing on the 'energy hub' of Africa, rural development, and the management of urban sprawl and environmental protection.

Dr. Ranajit Sahu's expert report concludes that the Updated Air Quality Impact Assessment for the proposed Lephalale Coal Mine confirms that particulate matter emissions will exceed national health standards even with mitigation. He criticizes the assessment for using flawed US EPA methodologies, lacking data on Total Suspended Particulates, and using an unrealistic 'average' truck weight for emissions modeling.

This report summarizes a webinar held on 12 July 2024, titled "Youth Action for Climate and Clean Air Now," which brought together over 140 youth activists and experts to discuss the role of young people in reducing short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and improving global air quality.

This briefing note from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment calls for a second reform bill to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) to address gaps left by Bill S-5, specifically regarding air quality standards, citizen enforcement, and protections for First Nations reserve lands.

This RMI fact sheet explains the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed April 2023 emission regulations for passenger cars, light- and medium-duty vehicles, and heavy-duty trucks. The rules establish performance-based limits on greenhouse gases and criteria pollutants for vehicles manufactured in model 2027 and beyond, aiming to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and reduce overall emissions.