Air Pollution To Kill 74 Lakh Annually by 2040: Study

The International Energy Agency (IEA) report says that unless energy policies are changed, death count will rise.

Premature deaths from air pollution will continue to rise upto 2040 unless changes are made to the way the world uses and produces energy, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Monday.

Around 6.5 million deaths globally are attributed each year to poor air quality indoors and outdoors.

The release of particulate matter pollutants is mainly due to the unregulated or inefficient production and use of energy, said the report.

Without action, annual premature deaths attributable to outdoor air pollution will increase to 4.5 million in 2040 from around 3 million currently. Premature deaths due to household air pollution however, should fall to 2.9 million from 3.5 million.

Asia will account for almost 90 percent of the rise in deaths.

The IEA said increasing total energy investment by 7 percent, or $4.7 trillion, by 2040 could help ensure premature deaths from outdoor pollution fall to 2.8 million and from household air pollution to 1.3 million.

This is completely peanuts. With a seven percent increase you can save over three million lives.

Fatih Birol, Executive Director IEA

There should be a package of measures for the energy sector such as fitting coal-fired power plants with scrubbers; more use of renewable energy; increased energy efficiency and emissions control, the report said.