Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
A report jointly produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) finds that coordinated action on clean air and climate can yield about $15 in economic and health benefits for every dollar invested. This strategy combines efforts to address both air pollution and climate change through 25 proven measures, including renewable energy adoption, electric vehicles, and clean cooking fuels, helping to improve public health and advance climate goals.
The assessment notes that integrating climate and air pollution policies delivers higher returns because overlapping pollutants and sectors impact both issues. UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen emphasized that clean air is a driver of development, health, food and energy security, and climate stability—highlighting the need for greater investment. UN Secretary-General António Guterres added that cutting air pollution by moving away from fossil fuels is an effective way to tackle both clean air and the climate crisis.
The report, "Hidden assets: The economic and health case for climate and clean air action," estimates that implementing the 25 measures could generate annual benefits of 2.8 percent of global GDP by 2035, 4.5 percent by 2050, and 11.4 percent by 2100. For comparison, fossil fuel subsidies made up 2.18 percent of global GDP in 2022, while healthcare spending was 9.3 percent in 2023. Even without non-market welfare gains, the measures are projected to return about $4 for each dollar invested.
Elliott Harris, independent co-chair of the assessment, said these findings should prompt finance ministries and investors to reconsider their strategies, as a 15-to-1 benefit-cost ratio would usually drive rapid capital deployment in other sectors. He warned that each year of delay costs the world more than $1.5 trillion in lost benefits. The report also stresses the serious health effects of human-caused outdoor air pollution, highlighting the need for coordinated policy action.