World Meteorological Organization: Addressing Climate Change and Air Pollution Together

A report from the World Meteorological Organization, released on Wednesday, indicated that climate change significantly impacts air quality and, consequently, human health, suggesting that both issues should be addressed together rather than separately. Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization Petteri Taalas stated, "Heatwaves lead to deteriorating air quality, with indirect effects on human health, ecosystems, agriculture, and our daily lives." He added, "Climate change and air quality cannot be dealt with separately. They go hand in hand and must be addressed together to break this vicious cycle." The report noted that the harmful effects of pollution resulting from rising temperatures are often overlooked. Examples cited in the report include the northwestern United States, where heatwaves led to wildfires, as well as heatwave events accompanied by desert dust across Europe. Both situations resulted in air quality deteriorating to dangerous levels in 2022.