Air quality and climate bulletin - WMO 05 September 2024
/
3:08
/
MP4
/
231.5 MB
Transcripts
Teleprompter
Download

Edited News , Press Conferences | WMO

WMO Press conference: Air Quality and Climate Bulletin - 05 September 2024

We must do more to keep the air we breathe clean: UN weather agency

Unchecked climate change, wildfires and air pollution continue to have “a spiralling, negative impact on health, ecosystems and agriculture”, with millions of deaths attributed to dirty air, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.

“Almost everybody on Earth, basically nine out of 10 people breathe air that is essentially unfit for purpose,” said Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer at WMO. “This means that it is air that exceeds the [UN World Health Organization] WHO guideline limits and contains a high level of pollutants with low and middle-income countries basically being the most affected.”

Heat driver

That stark finding is just one of many unsettling discoveries featuring in the latest WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin. It highlights, for instance, that the first eight months of 2024 have seen no let-up in periods of intense heat and persistent droughts around the world, fuelling the risk of wildfires and air pollution.

“Climate change means that we face this scenario with increasing frequency. Interdisciplinary science and research is key to finding solutions,” the UN agency warned.

The clear link between polluted air and poor health is clear, according to the WHO, which has urged global action to counter “one of the greatest environmental risks to health” and numerous preventable illnesses including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma.

“Ambient air pollution alone mostly coming from vehicles and industry causes more than 4.5 million premature deaths a year,” WMO’s Mr. Labrador told journalists in Geneva.

“This is more than those death by malaria and HIV AIDS combined; so air pollution is the biggest environmental risk of our time. But not only is it a health risk in itself, it also exacerbates climate change.”

Regional trends

A snapshot of regional emissions variations featured in the UN agency report indicated a trend for “lower pollution in Europe and China” than North America and India, where there was an increase in pollution emissions from human and industrial activities.

This is likely the “direct result of a reduction in emissions in those countries over the years, and we have been noticing this tendency since we started publishing the bulletin back in 2021.”

And while it is generally widely understood that polluted air containing microscopic particulates - including sulphates, nitrates, ammonia, soot from human activity and wildfires - is harmful, Mr. Labrador reiterated the UN agency’s 2023 findings that these and other pollutants have a damaging impact on food security, too.

Crop yields down

“Particulate matter can severely affect the productivity of crops - of staple crops - such as maize, rice and wheat,” he said. “Many of this particulate matter pollution that affect crop yields are due to man-made practices, which include the land use practices such as tillage and harvesting. Also, application of fertilizers and stubble-burning at the end the season, of the growing seasons.”

New data-crunching on naturally occurring wildfires around the world last year also indicated that the inferno that spread across Canada in 2023 “was even stronger with respect to emissions” than the 2021 wildfire season in Siberia – although that was “very, very strong”, the WMO officer insisted.

“[The Canada fires] broke records concerning the amount of surface area burned over a 20-year period.”

To coincide with this year’s Clean Air for Blue Skies Day on Saturday 7 September, the UN agency urged governments to protect health, the environment and the economy, given the cost ramifications of the air pollution.

“The first thing that cities have to do is to recognize that the problem exists in the first place,” Mr. Labrador said. “So, those cities and those countries have to acknowledge first that there is an air quality problem and there is sufficient data around the world to basically acknowledge that it is a worldwide problem, particularly in urban areas.”

Story: WMO Press conference: Air Quality and Climate Bulletin

TRT: 03’08”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 05 September 2024 - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
RESTRICTIONS: NONE



SHOTLIST

  1. Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley.
  2. Wide shot of the podium at the press conference room.
  3. SOUNDBITE (English) Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer, WMO: Almost everybody on Earth, basically nine out of 10 people breathe air that is essentially unfit for purpose. This means that it is air that exceeds the WHO guideline limits and contains a high level of pollutants with low and middle-income countries basically being the most affected.”
  4. Medium-wide, podium speakers and Press room.
  5. SOUNDBITE (English) Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer, WMO: “Ambient air pollution alone mostly coming from vehicles and industry causes more than 4.5 million premature deaths a year. Just for context, this is more than those death by malaria and HIV AIDS combined; so air pollution is the biggest environmental risk of our time. But not only is it a health risk in itself, it also exacerbates climate change.”
  6. Medium, podium speakers from above, TV screens showing speakers in Press room.
  7. SOUNDBITE (English) Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer, WMO: “We tend to believe that the lower pollution in Europe and China are the direct result of a reduction in emissions in those countries over the years, and we have been noticing this tendency since we started publishing the bulletin back in 2021. So, we can say that we are starting to see a tendency in that regard.”
  8. Medium-wide, podium speakers and Press room.
  9. SOUNDBITE (English) Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer, WMO: “Whereas particulate matter is responsible for about eight million premature death a year worldwide, you would not find surprising that the focus is usually on the effects of particular matter on health. However, a 2023 World Meteorological Organization report pointed out that particulate matter can severely affect the productivity of crops - of staple crops - such as maize, rice and wheat.
  10. Medium-close, TV screen showing Mr. Labrador.
  11. SOUNDBITE (English) Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer, WMO: “Many of this particulate matter pollution that affect crop yields are due to man-made practices, which include the land use practices such as tillage and harvesting. Also, application of fertilizers and stubble-burning at the end the season, of the growing seasons.”
  12. Medium, speaker’s hands on desk and screen.
  13. SOUNDBITE (English) Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer, WMO: “We reported back in 2022 about the 2021 wildfire season in Siberia, which was very, very strong. But there are indications that the wildfire that we had in Canada last year was even stronger with respect to emissions. It broke records concerning the amount of surface area burned over a 20-year period in Canada.”
  14. Medium-wide, raised shot of podium speakers and Press room.
  15. SOUNDBITE (English) Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer, WMO: “The first thing that cities have to do is to recognize that the problem exists in the first place. So, those cities and those countries have to acknowledge first that there is an air quality problem and there is sufficient data around the world to basically acknowledge that it is a worldwide problem, particularly in urban areas.”
  16. Wide, podium and speakers with UN logo providing backdrop.
  17. Medium, journalist.


Audio Files 2
Download WMO Press conference: Air Quality and Climate Bulletin - 30 August 2024 (Continuity)
Download
Download Air quality and climate bulletin - WMO 05 September 2024 (Edited Story)
Download

Similar Stories

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on escalating violence in DRC

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on escalating violence in DRC ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned of the risk of the violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo escalating throughout the Great Lakes sub-region, following the recent takeover of Goma city by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.

DR Congo - Human Rights Council  Special Session

1

1

1

Edited News | HRC

DR Congo - Human Rights Council Special Session ENG FRA

UN human rights chief Volker Türk expressed profound concerns at the ongoing violent escalation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) caused by the ongoing Rwanda-backed M23 offensive. “If nothing is done, the worst may be yet to come, for the people of the eastern DRC, but also beyond the country’s borders,” he told a Special Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 07 February 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | UNAIDS , UNICEF , WHO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 07 February 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Children’s Fund.

US funding cuts impact - UNAIDS

1

1

1

Edited News | UNAIDS

US funding cuts impact - UNAIDS ENG FRA

US aid funding cuts create confusion, put HIV prevention at risk, says UNAIDS 

The US pause in foreign assistance funding has created “a lot of confusion” in community HIV prevention work, despite the waiver issued for HIV/AIDS programmes, the UN agency to combat AIDS (UNAIDS) said on Friday.

US aid funding cuts,  UNFPA - OCHA - UNOG

1

1

1

Edited News | UNFPA , OCHA , UNOG

US aid funding cuts, UNFPA - OCHA - UNOG ENG FRA

UN agencies offered a dire assessment on Tuesday about the global impact of deep cuts to grassroots humanitarian funding by the incoming US administration and reiterated calls for Washington to retain its position as a global aid leader.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 04 February 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | OCHA , UNECE , UNFPA , UNRWA , UNWOMEN , WHO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 04 February 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Women, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the Human Rights Council and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

OPT humanitarian update  - UNRWA

1

1

1

Edited News | UNRWA

OPT humanitarian update - UNRWA ENG FRA

While West Bank camp is destroyed, UNRWA delivers bulk of aid in Gaza

Large swathes of Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank have been completely destroyed following a series of controlled detonations by the Israeli security forces (ISF), the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Human Rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Human Rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday raised the alarm about the growing human rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and James Rodehaver on fourth year since the coup in Myanmar

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and James Rodehaver on fourth year since the coup in Myanmar ENG FRA

At the UN bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and the head of UN Human Rights Myanmar team James Rodehaver, describedunprecedented levels of killing in 2024, four years since the coup.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 31 January 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | OHCHR , UNCTAD , UNOG , UNRWA , WFP , WHO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 31 January 2025 ENG FRA

Rolando Gómez, from the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing. In attendance were spokespersons or representatives of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

OPT Update UNRWA, WHO 31 January 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO , UNRWA

OPT Update UNRWA, WHO 31 January 2025 ENG FRA

The largest UN agency in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, UNRWA, said on Friday that its staff are still helping the people of Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem who depend on them “for their sheer survival”, a day after the Israeli parliament ban on its activities entered into force.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 28 January 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | OCHA , ICRC , WHO , WFP , UNHCR , OHCHR , UNECE

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 28 January 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.