Air quality in the context of the sustainable development goals

Abstract

Air pollution problems arose in the last decades of the eighteenth century given the use of coal and fossil fuels that resulted from the increasing energy demand. Since energy demand has not decreased, on the contrary, these problems have persisted until our days and have become a crisis of global dimensions; the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates and states in its website that 4.2 million deaths every year are attributable to exposure to ambient (outdoor) air pollution. This topic was recognized to have a significant impact on the development of countries and was included as part of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The introduction of international environmental spillover effects as indicators of the SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2017 highlights the fact that not only producers are responsible from emissions that generate air pollution but that consumers also are, and that high amounts of emission are actually embodied in trade. It also states that high-income countries tend to be the ones that import most emissions and generate the more negative spillover effects. This thesis pays particular attention to indicators regarding SO2 emissions and PM2.5, as they are related to severe health effects and environmental degradation. Through the analysis of such indicators this thesis compares the performances of countries in regards to production-based and consumption-based emissions, in addition to that on concentrations of PM2.5. This study also seeks to analyze the relation of those indicators with the indicator “death rate attributable to household and ambient air pollution” that is comprised in SDG 3 Good Health and well-being. Moreover, this work discusses the cases of Norway and China concerning production-based and consumption-based emissions, since they represent very well the situation of intensive importing countries that may not suffer from air pollution problems and intensive exporting countries facing severe air pollution problems; furthermore, their performances in regards to production and consumption of emissions are extreme. Finally, this study concludes by presenting the concept of Circular Economy as a solution to reduce emissions both from production and consumption processes.