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On September 7, the UN marked the third International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies. However, the skies are far from clear of air pollution. Only a month ago, the World Health Organization () warned that practically all the air we breathe is polluted, and that it’s killing around seven million people every year.

Conor Lennon from UN News spoke to Martina Otto and Nathan Borgford-Parnell from the , which is hosted by the UN Environment Programme (). They discussed the evolving science surrounding the issue, the extent to which air pollution is improving – if at all – and why international collaboration is essential, if the number of annual deaths is to be addressed.

Music: Ketsa, Within the Earth
Audio Credit: UN News/ Conor Lennon
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Malcolm Lightbody

99% of our world is exposed to polluted air causing an estimated 7 million premature deaths every year. This International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, calls on governments, corporations, civil society, and individuals to take action to reduce air pollution and bring a transformative change for the air we share. .

In Africa, on average, people spend up to 56 minutes daily. The danger lies not just on the road, but in the air too. sets out recommendations.

The ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the Sun, helping preserve life on our planet. As the treaty turns 35 on Ozone Day, we remember how the Montreal Protocol ended one of the biggest threats ever to face humanity as a whole: the depletion of the ozone layer. When the world found out that ozone-depleting gases used in aerosols and cooling were creating a hole in the sky, it came together and phased out these gases. Now the ozone layer is healing, allowing it to continue to shield humanity from the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation.

Research shows that lifestyle changes could help the planet . explains what people and policymakers can do to to help secure a healthier planet. 

Jacqueline Alvarez, head of the Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, talks about the drivers of peatland wildfires and what can be done to limit their spread next year.

With fossil fuel prices reaching record highs, companies around the world are focusing on energy efficiency to save money and reduce the emissions driving the climate crisis. Research shows that a safe future below 1.5°C requires the world to cut 30 gigatonnes greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) annually by 2030. Transport and buildings are among the largest contributors. Increasing energy efficiency, particularly industrial energy efficiency, can make a real difference in reducing our need for fossil fuels, according to .

Cities, which occupy just 3 per cent of the Earth’s land, account for up to 80 per cent of energy consumption and 75 per cent of carbon emissions. Safeguarding urban food security while limiting stress on human and environmental health is a key challenge cities face – and urban agriculture may be one of the solutions needed. Read the latest .

A new UN finds that climate change and land-use change are making wildfires worse and anticipates a global increase of extreme fires even in areas previously unaffected.

In this , you will learn about your rights as young people and children and about how your rights are connected to the environment.

50 billion tons: enough to build a wall 27 metres wide and high around planet Earth - sand must be recognised as a strategic resource and its use needs to be rethought, finds a new report by .

Sir David Attenborough is the recipient of the for his dedication to research, documentation, and advocacy for the protection of nature and its restoration.

calls for nominations for the Champions of the Earth Award - the UN’s highest environmental honour - to recognize outstanding leaders their transformative impact on the environment.

175 nations endorsed a historic resolution at the in Nairobi to End Plastic Pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024. Plastic production has risen exponentially in the last decades and now amounts to some – a figure set to double by 2040. The resolution addresses the full lifecycle of plastic, including its production, design, and disposal.

In this episode of 's , Lis and Marcus find out about some really creative and practical solutions to the climate threats faced by coastal communities and people living on low-lying small islands. Eritai Kateibwi, from the Te Maeu Project, talks about introducing hydroponics to Kiribati so his community can grow food without monthly ‘king’ tides washing away their crops. And world-renowned Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, who specialises in climate-resilient architecture, talks about floating cities and building flood barriers that double as parks, skateboard ramps, and bike storage - drawing on a concept known as ‘hedonistic sustainability.’