Kenya is among countries with increasing air pollution levels threatening to add to the seven million people the phenomenon kills each year.

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According to reports released on Tuesday at the second United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2), global air quality is continually declining and which could lead to a “global public health emergency”.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), global urban air pollution levels increased by eight per cent between 2008 and 2013. This leaves more than 80 per cent of people living in urban areas exposed to air quality levels that exceed WHO limits, threatening lives, productivity and economies.

However, Actions on Air Quality, a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), found improvements in areas such as access to cleaner cooking fuels and stoves, renewables, fuel sulphur content and public transport – pointing to a growing momentum for change.

United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director Achim Steiner said, “A healthy environment is essential to healthy people and our aspirations for a better world under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

“We are indeed making progress on air pollution, but the fact remains that many people are still breathing air outside of WHO standards. The health, social and economic costs are massive and rising. UNEP’s study on ten areas for policy intervention provides a roadmap for countries to follow as they look to reduce air pollution, and we will support them every step of the way,” he added.

For example, 97 countries have increased the percentage of households that have access to cleaner burning fuels to more than 85 per cent – a key move to tackle indoor air pollution, which claims over half the seven million lives.

At least 82 countries out of 194 analysed have incentives that promote investment in renewable energy production, cleaner production, energy efficiency and/or pollution control equipment.

Last year, for the first time, renewables accounted for a majority of the new electricity-generating capacity added around the world, at an investment of $286 billion, according to research by UNEP, Bloomberg and the Frankfurt School.

However, action in other areas is less impressive. Policies and standards on clean fuels and vehicles could reduce emissions by 90 per cent, but only 29 per cent of countries worldwide have adopted Euro 4 emissions standards or above.

Less than 20 per cent of countries, where Kenya falls, regulate open waste burning which is a leading cause of air pollution.