Four cities take a stand after a World Health Organization study shows virtually all kids worldwide breathe dangerous air Mayors from four global cities are calling for automakers to stop producing gas- and diesel-powered cars after a startling report that 93 percent of the world?s population under the age of 15 is breathing toxic air.
The report, which was released by the World Health Organization (WHO) ahead of the first Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, says most children worldwide are exposed to dangerously high levels of the fine particulate matter known as PM2.5, a pollutant attributed to vehicle emissions.
?As mayors of the world?s great cities we are transforming the way that our citizens move around the city?prioritizing walking, cycling, and clean public transport,? said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who issued the statement with the mayors of Copenhagen, Seoul, and Medellín, Colombia. ?I urge every city to join us and send an unmistakeable message to vehicle manufacturers: The health of our children is more important than the health of your profits,? she said.
Hildalgo is the leader of C40, which has organized a consortium of cities worldwide pledging to eliminate fossil fuels in transportation. Last week, a Paris court ruled a highway along the Seine must remain car-free in an effort to improve public health.
Exposure to dangerous pollution is most pronounced in low- and middle-income countries, according to the WHO study, where 98 percent of k...