A global movement for clean air is growing.
Air pollution is the root cause of many serious health problems. During the week of World Health Day, from April 7- April 10, citizens around the world took to the streets to highlight the impact of air pollution on their health and on the planet.
Though they were unified in their call for #CleanAirNOW, citizens demanded localised solutions to the air pollution crisis, such as creating dedicated public bus lanes, upgrading national PM2.5 standards, and strengthening transboundary haze regulation.
Greenpeace India activists painted the message on the outer ring road in Bengaluru, India, demanding protection of bus priority lanes and their expansion.
Greenpeace India volunteers organised weekend cycling training at Cubbon park in Bangaluru, India for first-time women cyclists from low income groups.
Greenpeace MENA staff hold up letters that read “Clean Air Now” during the Global Week of Action for Clean Air and a Healthy Future for All.
Greenpeace Malaysia organised photo-ops involving hand drawn Malaysian figurines held up in front of iconic places in Malaysia to deliver the message that clean air is a basic human right.
Greenpeace Indonesia activists hold up boards that read “CLEAN AIR NOW!” in a tunnel in Jakarta. The activists demanded that Indonesia’s government take the air pollution crisis seriously, especially in big cities like Jakarta.
Thai citizens joined the global movement for clean air and asked the government to solve the growing air pollution problem in the country.
Greenpeace South Africa volunteers participated in Global Week of Action to demand clean breathable air for all.
In Bogota, Colombia, volunteers highlighted the dangerous levels of air pollution from vehicles and the health impacts from it. “We are inhaling poison” was the key message.
In Thailand, civil society organisation representatives and environmental advocates filed a lawsuit against three public departments, the National Environment Board, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Ministry of Industry, for neglecting their mandate to protect citizens’ right to clean air.
Communities residing near coal power plants in Pangasinan, Quezon, Davao, and Cebu provinces, Philippines, including Metro Manila, demanded that the government raise the country’s air quality standards and end its reliance on coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel.
Greenpeace volunteers in Morocco organised a photo op to demand clean air and used this opportunity to have an iftar (breaking Ramadan fast) together and talk about the need for citizens to come together to fight air pollution.
Youth for Climate Tunisia in Tunisia organised a strike in the city of Tunis. Also present at the strike was Stop Pollution Gabes, a movement from the Gabes coastal community, who are campaigning against water, soil and air pollution in the city of Gabes.
More than 300 people joined the clean air ride with bikes to demand clean air in Ankara, İstanbul, Hatay, Mersin and İzmir.
They ditched the idea of car-dominated urban areas to create more space for bikes to combat air pollution. Photo Credits: Rana Büyüktaş
Last year the World Health Organisation (WHO) strengthened its air quality guidelines for the first time in 15 years.
Unfortunately, the reality is that 97% of global cities failed to meet the guidelines last year, according to IQAir’s 2021 World Air Quality report. Moreover, many cities around the world suffer from a lack of available air quality data.
Science tells us that there is no safe level of air pollution exposure. Air pollution is responsible for many chronic diseases, including asthma, heart disease and stroke.
Our health cannot wait. It is time for governments around the world to take action. Clean energy and equitable mobility solutions, including public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure, are necessary to tackle both air pollution and the climate crisis.
Sign the petition: We must phase out climate-wrecking fossil fuels. Together let’s demand innovative, sustainable solutions. Join the clean air movement, for our health, our future and for our planet.
More than 90% of the world’s population suffers from toxic outdoor air. Air pollution is estimated to cause more than 7 million premature deaths worldwide each year.
Discussion
Dear Green peace I wonder why green peace are not in the highest polluted GCC region of the rich oil counties. Are these countries execptional in the global environment?. I have never seen or read that the green peace iis campaigning in the Gulf Community Counties waters!!!!. Why? Is the green peace now compromised
we are active in the MENA region including GCC countries. We have followers from GCC and we target this audience in our campaign’ messages