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The EPA's proposed 2023 tailpipe emission rules for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles aim to reduce greenhouse gases and criteria pollutants starting with model year 2027. While not banning internal combustion engines, the rules set average emission limits for manufacturers, which is expected to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption. By 2032, the EPA projects EVs could reach 67% of new light-duty vehicle sales. Projected long-term benefits through 2055 include avoiding nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions, reducing oil imports by 20 billion barrels, and providing $12,000 in lifetime savings per light-duty vehicle for consumers.

The 2023 Clean Air NDC Scorecard reveals a significant gap in the integration of air quality and health into national climate plans, with an average score of 3.5/15 across 170 analysed NDCs. Low- and middle-income countries generally outperform high-income countries, with Colombia and Mali achieving the highest scores (12/15). Conversely, several high-emitting nations, including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, scored 0/15. The analysis highlights a critical disconnect in countries with high air pollution mortality, such as North Korea and the Solomon Islands, where NDCs fail to recognise the links between climate action and healthy air.

The report analyzes two policy scenarios for Pennsylvania's medium- and heavy-duty (M/HD) vehicle fleet: the adoption of California's Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule and a more aggressive '100 x 40 ZEV + Clean Grid' scenario. Both scenarios project significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and particulate matter (PM) emissions, leading to substantial public health benefits and net societal gains. While initial costs for fleets are higher, the report finds that ZEVs will reach lifetime cost parity with combustion vehicles as purchase prices fall and fuel/maintenance savings accumulate. The transition is projected to generate positive macroeconomic effects, including net national job gains and increased GDP by 2035, and could potentially lower electricity rates for residential and commercial customers due to increased utility net revenue from EV charging.

The analysis finds that transitioning Maryland's medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fleet to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) would yield significant net societal benefits, ranging from $6.6 billion under the ACT rule to over $11.6 billion under the 100 x 40 ZEV scenario by 2050. These benefits are driven by reductions in greenhouse gases, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, leading to fewer premature deaths and hospital visits. While ZEVs currently have higher purchase costs, the report projects they will reach lifetime cost parity with combustion vehicles due to lower fuel and maintenance expenses. The transition is expected to have positive macroeconomic effects, including net national job gains and increased GDP, although it requires substantial investment in depot and public charging infrastructure.

The document assesses the impact of operating three units at the Kusile power station without Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) from December 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025. It finds that this bypass will lead to a 6-fold increase in SO2 emissions and a 40% increase in mercury emissions, resulting in approximately 670 excess deaths and R16.8 billion in economic health damages. The authors argue that Eskom's own health impact estimates are unrealistically low because they use outdated modeling tools, ignore mercury emissions, and only consider a small 50 km geographic radius.

The author discusses the immediate impacts of climate-driven wildfires in North America, specifically the health risks associated with particulate matter and the necessity of implementing binding emission reductions and adaptation strategies in Canada.

The report analyzes the impact of a massive fire at the Doral incinerator, which burned from February 12 to March 2, 2023. It finds that air quality frequently reached unhealthy or hazardous levels for particulate matter (PM2.5) and exceeded action levels for chlorine, VOCs, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide, contradicting early official claims. Water testing in onsite retention ponds showed exceedances of sanitary sewer and groundwater standards for copper, lead, zinc, sulfates, and boron. The document also details the emergency demolition of asbestos-containing structures and a history of five fires at the facility in recent years, using these findings to advocate for a transition to a Zero Waste system in Miami-Dade County.

The report details a massive fire at the Doral waste incinerator that occurred from February 12 to March 2, 2023, causing significant air and water pollution. Despite initial official claims that air quality was not concerning, monitoring data showed levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) and other toxins that were unhealthy or dangerous for residents. The document also highlights water contamination in on-site retention ponds, the presence of asbestos in demolished structures, and a history of previous fires and regulatory violations at the facility. It concludes by advocating for a transition to a 'Zero Waste' model to protect marginalized communities.

The document evaluates the consequences of bypassing Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) systems at the Kusile power station. It projects a six-fold increase in SO2 emissions and a 40% increase in mercury emissions, leading to an estimated 670 excess deaths and R16.8 billion in societal costs.

The report argues that the proposed Lephalale Coal and Power Project (LCPP) poses substantial health risks to surrounding communities in Limpopo, South Africa. It critiques the project's official Air Quality Impact Assessment (AQIA) for failing to provide quantifiable health risk estimates and for relying on weak national air quality standards. In contrast, the report supports findings from the Centre for Research into Energy and Clean Air (CREA), which identifies significant morbidity and mortality risks and an 'unfunded liability' of US$33.6 billion in externalised health costs. The author provides a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed literature linking coal-related pollutants—including particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), nitrogen oxides, and mercury—to respiratory, cardiovascular, neurocognitive, and maternal health disorders, as well as various cancers.

The document examines air pollution in 16 Cambodian garment factories, finding that while particulate matter levels generally complied with national standards and WHO guidelines on the day of assessment, wood-burning factories were the most polluting. It highlights a significant gap in worker awareness, as 99% of interviewed workers perceived air quality as satisfactory despite all reporting symptoms related to air pollution. The brief emphasizes the gendered nature of the sector, where a predominantly young female workforce faces specific health risks, and recommends strengthening national air quality standards to align with WHO guidelines and implementing gender-inclusive occupational safety policies.

The document assesses air quality in 16 Cambodian garment factories, finding that while many meet national standards, some exceed WHO guidelines, particularly those using wood fuel. It highlights a significant gap in worker awareness, where most associate air pollution with temperature rather than chemical or particulate pollutants, despite reporting symptoms like coughing and headaches. The brief emphasizes the gendered nature of the sector, noting that 80% of the workforce are women, and calls for gender-responsive health and safety policies, especially for pregnant workers.

The document argues that adopting the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) and Heavy-Duty Omnibus (HDO) rules in Rhode Island would significantly reduce toxic air pollutants and carbon emissions from medium- and heavy-duty (M/HD) vehicles. By 2050, these policies are projected to reduce NOx emissions from M/HD vehicles by over 80% and PM2.5 by over 20%, leading to approximately $150 million in health care savings and over 6,000 avoided minor respiratory illnesses. Economically, the transition is expected to provide commercial fleets with over $15 million in annual savings by 2050 and eliminate over 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide cumulatively through 2050.

The document challenges the National Air Quality Officer's (NAQO) decisions to allow Eskom to delay compliance with emission standards. It argues that such postponements are unlawful under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (AQA) and the 2017 National Framework, particularly for plants in the Highveld Priority Area (HPA). The submission provides evidence of Eskom's extensive history of emission exceedances and the resulting health costs, including thousands of projected premature deaths. It further asserts that the technology to abate sulphur dioxide (SO2) is feasible and economically beneficial, contradicting Eskom's claims of impracticality.

The report outlines the economic and environmental benefits of transitioning India's trucking sector to zero-emissions vehicles (ZETs), specifically battery-electric and fuel cell electric trucks. It highlights the potential for significant reductions in logistics costs, oil expenditures, and carbon emissions, while proposing four strategic pathways—policy action, charging infrastructure deployment, technology/manufacturing localization, and innovative financing—to accelerate adoption and establish India as a low-carbon manufacturing hub.

The report examines the intersection of air pollution and labor markets in East and Southeast Asia, highlighting a significant gap in research and policy regarding informal workers. It finds that while formal sectors are regulated, informal workers—including street vendors and agricultural laborers—face high exposure with minimal social protection. Health burdens are highest in China and Mongolia for ambient pollution, and in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar for household pollution. The report argues that current solutions are overly technocentric and fail to address the social inequalities and structural vulnerabilities that determine exposure levels.

A coalition of environmental justice advocates, including Earthjustice and the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, submitted comments on the New Jersey DEP's proposed Environmental Justice (EJ) rules. The coalition argues for a narrow interpretation of the 'compelling public interest' exception, specifically opposing the use of economic benefits or job creation as justifications for permitting new polluting facilities in overburdened communities. They recommend expanding public notification radii to five kilometers, refining the definitions of 'new facility' and 'incinerator' to include technologies like pyrolysis and gasification, and adopting more sensitive air quality metrics based on WHO guidelines rather than EPA NAAQS. The document also emphasizes that race is the strongest predictor of pollution burden in New Jersey, citing historical redlining and systemic failures in DEP's permitting and enforcement processes as drivers of environmental racism.

The briefing highlights how the Delhi government, in collaboration with RMI and the Dialogue Development Commission of Delhi, accelerated the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) for final-mile deliveries. Through a combination of fiscal incentives, a technology-agnostic charging infrastructure strategy, and the Deliver Electric Delhi pilot, EV sales in Delhi rose from 3.3% to 10% of new vehicle registrations within just over a year. The program demonstrates that electrifying delivery fleets can significantly reduce PM and NOx emissions and lower fuel costs for operators.

The study identifies fuel type, kitchen volume, cooking methods, and ventilation as the primary drivers of in-kitchen particulate matter exposure in low-income homes across 12 global cities. The highest concentrations were found in Dhaka, driven by small kitchen size and extensive frying, while the lowest were in Medellín. The research highlights that charcoal use significantly increases PM2.5 levels compared to natural gas or LPG, and that dual ventilation (mechanical and natural) is more effective at reducing pollutants than natural ventilation alone.

The Deliver Electric Delhi pilot, involving 35 industry players, investigated barriers to electric vehicle (EV) adoption for final-mile delivery to support the Delhi EV policy. The report analyzes the economic case for electrification, comparing EV costs and performance against fossil fuel vehicles, and identifies the roles of policy, charging infrastructure, and finance in scaling adoption. If 100 percent sales penetration of electric final-mile delivery vehicles is achieved by 2030, it could result in 750,000 vehicles on the road, avoiding 14.2 million tons of CO2, 46,900 tons of NOx, and 530 tons of PM emissions over their lifetime.