Air pollution is the most significant environmental threat to health in the European Union. It has a severe negative impact on the health of people of all ages and is responsible for more than 300,000 premature deaths annually in the region.
On 14 October, the Council of the European Union formally adopted a directive setting updated air quality standards across the EU. The revised legislation adjusts the limits for key air pollutants to align more closely with the latest recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and to reflect the serious health consequences of air pollution.
In its efforts to advocate for improved air quality, UBDPolicy contributed to the development of a policy brief titled “The Economic Fallacy of Improving Air Quality in Europe: the Social and Economic Costs of Inaction Are Far Greater than Taking Ambitious Action“. The document argues that improving air quality should be prioritized not only for health reasons but also for economic ones. The economic impact of air pollution is substantial, with costs arising from reduced life expectancy, illness, lost productivity, and damage to ecosystems, amounting to more than 5% of GDP in many countries.
