OECD: Air Pollution-Related Deaths, Illness Cost Big Economies $3.5 Trillion Annually

摘要

Air pollution costs the world's biggest economies some $3.5 trillion a year in premature deaths and illnesses, and the costs will rise without more regulatory action to limit vehicle emissions, especially from diesel fuel, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said. In a report released May 21, OECD said more than 3.5 million people die each year from cancer, heart disease and respiratory problems linked to outdoor air pollution, with deaths costing the OECD's 34 member countries-which include the world's advanced economies-$1.7 trillion yearly. Half of that cost is due to road transport, with diesel vehicles producing the most harmful emissions, it said. Outside the OECD, China and India are greatly affected by traffic exhaust from a swelling fleet of cars and trucks in fast-expanding cities, the report said.