Climate Action: More Jobs, Better Health

No country across the globe has remained insulated from the drastic effects of climate change. Globally this needs to be addressed and urgent and immediate actions are to be taken if we intend to avoid a catastrophe that is looming over the planet we call home. Global warming is causing long lasting changes to our climate system, and these will lead to irreversible consequences if not tackled immediately.

The recurrences of tsunamis, tropical cyclones and flooding have lead not just to loss of  great amount of money but equally grave remains the fact that a large population of human have dies in these calamities.

It is time to globally come together aiming at accelerating the reduction of the Global green house gas emissions and implementing adaptation to combat the impacts of climate change.

Two major components that have been identified are the transport system and the way we have designed and built our homes. It is time we retrofit our buildings, improve our power plant efficiency, install energy efficient equipments and at the same time enhance the public transport networks that will enable people to use less of private vehicles. Not only will this reduce air pollution but at the same time prevent traffic accidents.

Climate action will certainly help in generating new job opportunities. It has been estimated that investment related to residential energy efficient retrofits could result in creation of 5.4 million jobs in cities across the globe. This also will not just reduce harmful emissions but also reduce household expenses. A well developed network of public transport will not just help with the gas emissions but also prevent traffic accidents, reduce time of travel and fuel expenses.

Studies have shown that ambient air pollution is a major cause of death and the transport sector is responsible for the fastest growing fossil fuel CO2 emissions. And cities are accountable for 73 percent of the global greenhouse emissions. This urgently calls for making large-scale climate action in urban areas an immediate priority. However, the positive side of this exercise is that this city level climate action will not just help address the environmental issue but also benefit the society in terms of job opportunities, health benefits, help stimulate economic growth, alleviate poverty and improve the overall liveability of our cities.

By: Madhuchanda Saxena

Content: https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/climate-action-could-prevent-one-million-air-pollution-related-deaths