Air pollution in Asia:
Trends, drivers and solutions
My used filter after one week in Delhi
Southeast&South Asia: toll on health
increasing fast
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
India
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Southeast Asia Pakistan Indonesia
Deaths per day from ambient air pollution
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015Global Burden of Disease 2015
Unacceptable health risks for people living in
polluted areas
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Allahabad
Patna
Delhi
Lucknow
Peshawar
Karachi
Varanasi
Jakarta
Lahore
Mumbai
Increase in the risk of lung cancer in selected cities due to PM2.5
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% 140% 160% 180%
Allahabad
Patna
Delhi
Lucknow
Peshawar
Karachi
Varanasi
Jakarta
Lahore
Mumbai
Increase in the risk of stroke in selected cities due to PM2.5
Calculated using Global Burden of Disease 2015 methodology and PM2.5 concentrations from WHO Ambient Air Pollution database, except Jakarta based on Greenpeace monitoring at 19 stations
Dramatic increase in fossil fuel use
0%
50%
100%
150%
200%
250%
India Indonesia Pakistan Philippines World
Increase in coal and oil consumption 2005-2015
Coal Oil
Coal-fired power dominates SO2 emissions
in South&Southeast Asia
Public electricity and heat production
53%
Manufacturing Industries and Construction
20%
Residential and other sectors
24%
Transport3%
Sources of SO2 emission growth from 2005 to 2010
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
2005 Increase 2010
SO2 emissions 2005 and 2010
Transport
Residential and other sectors
Manufacturing Industries andConstruction
Public electricity and heatproduction
Calculated from EDGAR emissions database, v4.31
NOx: power, industry & transport dominate
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
2005 Increase 2010
NOx emissions 2005 and 2010
Transport
Agricultural waste burning
Residential and other sectors
Manufacturing Industries andConstruction
Public electricity and heatproduction
Public electricity and heat
production47%
Manufacturing Industries and Construction
13%
Residential and other sectors
9%
Agricultural waste burning
1%
Transport30%
Sources of NOx emission growth from 2005 to 2010
Impacts of coal power expansion in
Southeast Asia
• 20,000 premature deaths
due to pollution from coal-
fired power plants in 2011
• Projected to increase to
70,000 by 2030 if planned
coal power expansion is
realized
What has worked?
EU&US have improved systematically, while
China has turned the trend around
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
European Union United States
Deaths per day from ambient air pollution
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
China
What has worked
• Comprehensive air pollution monitoring network: real-time
and yearly data
• Setting targets & timelines for air quality improvement with
clear accountability
• National regional air pollution action plans targeting all key
sectors and pollutants
• Emission standards: power plants, industry, transport
• Investment in clean energy, sustainable transport
• Cleaner economic structure
Improving standards
0
30
60
90
120
150
180
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
China EuropeanUnion
U.S. India, fromDec 2017?
India,current*
Indonesia Philippines
Part
icle
s, m
g/N
m3
SO2
an
d N
Ox,
mg
/Nm
3
Emission limits for new coal-fired power plants
SO2 NOx Particles *no limits for SO2 & NOx
Standards work: change in SO2 levels, 2010-2015
Clean energy works
• China: all power demand growth covered from non-fossil
energy since 2013
• India: rapid decrease in costs with scaling up: both wind and
solar more affordable than new coal
• U.S.: Power generation with coal fell 40% in 10 years!
Renewable electricity grew 180%.
• EU: Coal use fell 17% in past 10 years, renewable electricity
generation grew 4-fold
Blue skies:
We know we need to do it
We know how to do it
So let’s do it!