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!