National pollution standards are a powerful tool to reduce pollution. Yet, a third of the world’s population lives in regions that don’t meet their country’s own standards. If those countries did meet their own benchmarks, those 2.5 billion people would live an average of 1.2 years longer.
History has proven the power of policy efforts to reduce pollution. For example, in the United States, Americans are exposed to 67 percent less particulate pollution than they would have been prior to the passage of the Clean Air Act—and they’re living 1.5 years longer because of it. Similarly, in Europe, residents are exposed to about 30 percent less pollution than before the Air Quality Framework Directive started—gaining 5.6 months of life expectancy. Both regions have introduced or enacted even more stringent standards over the last year, which, if met, would lead to modest improvements in life expectancy.
China is another remarkable success story. After declaring a “war against pollution” in 2013, the country now meets its national standard and residents are living 2 years longer because of the policy changes that led to a 41 percent reduction in pollution. Building on this success, China is now aiming for a further 10 percent reduction compared to 2020 levels in particulate concentrations across its prefectures by 2025.