‘Paris Climate Pact Can Cut World Healthcare Cost by $54 Trillion’

The amount needed to implement the deal would be far cheaper than paying the costs of people sickened by pollution.

The study states that the governments worldwide could save $54 trillion in health care by investing less than half that amount in green projects by mid-century.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

Implementing the Paris climate agreement by investing trillions of dollars to slow greenhouse gas emissions would be far cheaper than paying the costs of people sickened by polluted air, as per a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health, an online academic journal.

The study states that the governments worldwide could save USD 54 trillion in healthcare costs by investing less than half that amount in green projects by mid-century.

As per the study, India would spend (approximately) between USD 0.1 trillion and USD 6.5 trillion in a span of 30 years, between 2020 and 2050 to curb greenhouse gas emissions. But at the same time, there could be savings as high as between USD 5 trillion to USD 30 trillion from improved health.

Such an investment would result in 30 million fewer premature deaths related to air pollution, said the study's co-author Jon Sampedro, a researcher at Spain's Basque Centre for Climate Change, in a Reuters report.

Achieving the highest levels of savings would require China and India making the largest joint investment, some USD 9 trillion, to tackle climate change, the study said. The two countries would then save most by having healthier populations.

Such an investment would result in 30 million fewer premature deaths related to air pollution.

The WHO states that 4.3 million people a year in India die from the exposure to household air pollution, which is among the highest in the world.

Together China and India account for about a third of global emissions, according to the World Resources Institute, a Washington-based think tank.

The Paris agreement signed in 2015 by nearly 200 countries committed to curbing greenhouse emissions enough to keep the global hike in temperatures ‘well below’ 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times while ‘pursuing efforts’ for a far tougher 1.5 Celsius ceiling.

This could decrease air pollution-related deaths by 21-27 percent between 2020 and 2050.

Authors of the study said their calculations of steep savings could convince policy-makers to adopt more aggressive policies to curb human emissions of greenhouse gasses that include carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels.

What’s The Cost of Living in a Polluted City in India?

Here’s how much you would spend if you were living in one of the polluted cities in India. And in most cases, these costs will be recurring.

Masks

It obviously doesn’t make sense to invest in the Rs 5 disposable, surgical face mask. It does zilch to protect you from pollution particles. You need one of these - Vogmask, 3M, N95 or N99 masks. These codes tell you the particle filter class – so, a N-95 respirator will filter out 95 percent of particulate matter (PM2.5), while a N-99 respirator filters 99 percent of particulate matter.

All these masks will cost you anywhere between Rs 70 to Rs 400.

It obviously doesn’t make sense to invest in the Rs 5 disposable, surgical face mask. It does zilch to protect you from pollution particles.

Air Purifiers

Approximately one purifier costs between Rs 10,000 to Rs 75,000, and you will have to install it in every room of your house. It’s kinda pointless to sleep in clean air in your bedroom, and inhale toxic fumes through the day in your living area!

A Pollu-cation

It’s obviously not feasible for everyone living in smoggy greys to flee the cities. The final solution for this unlivable condition lies with the policymakers. But if you do, it can cost you anywhere from Rs 75,000 - Rs 1,50,000, depending on where you stay in India.

(With inputs from Reuters)