Build a better future with blue skies for all, UN urges, marking first International Day of Clean Air

Around 90 per cent of people go through their daily lives breathing harmful polluted air, which has been described by the United Nations as the most important health issue of our time. To mark the first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, on 7 September, UN News explains how bad it is and what is being done to tackle it.

Marking the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, on Thursday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a powerful call for increased international cooperation to address the “global emergency” of worsening air pollution. 

A rise in the frequency, intensity and duration of heatwaves will not only increase wildfires this century but also worsen air quality – harming human health and ecosystems, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) launched on Wednesday, the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.