7th September: International Clean Air Day for a Blue Sky

In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly designated September 7 as «International Clean Air Day for a Blue Sky». The first international day was celebrated in 2020.

The day aims to prioritize the need for healthy air and the links of air pollution to other critical issues such as climate change, human and planetary health, and the Sustainable Development Goals. It serves as a call to action to collectively align efforts and reclaim the right to clean air.

Preventing and reducing air pollution to improve global air quality

Air pollution is the largest environmental risk to human health and a leading preventable cause of death and disease worldwide, responsible for approximately 6.5 million premature deaths globally (in 2016) attributed to indoor and outdoor air pollution. In developing countries, this type of pollution disproportionately affects women, children and the elderly, and particularly low-income populations who are often exposed to high levels of indoor and outdoor air pollution resulting from cooking and heating methods that use wood and kerosene.

Air pollution is a global problem that has far-reaching implications because of its vast spread, and because, without aggressive intervention, the number of deaths caused by outdoor air pollution is on track to increase by more than 50 percent by 2050.

Actions to improve air quality

• Reduce the use of private vehicles and opt for public transport or other more sustainable means of transportation such as bicycles.
• Consume less and always use local products. In this way, you will not only be helping small businesses, but you will also be avoiding unnecessary transportation.
• Do not waste water or exceed your energy consumption. Both resources are closely linked to the emission of polluting gases that do nothing but harm the quality of our air.
• Pay attention to the production of the products you consume and choose those that do it in the most efficient way possible.
• Avoid burning garbage or any other type of waste that can emit polluting gases into the atmosphere.
• Become aware and encourage the people around you to change their habits to greener ones so that, toletero, we can contribute to improving the air we breathe.