Avoiding 50 per cent of deaths linked to air pollution. A result achievable with a 7 per cent increase in investment in renewable energy. This is what the latest report "Energy and air pollution", drawn up by the International Energy Agency (IEA), makes known, analysing the relationship between energy, air pollution and health.

The pages of the report analyse the contributions that the energy sector can make to reduce poor air quality: the greatest threat to human health after high blood pressure, nutrient-poor diets and smoking.

Energy and fuels the biggest culprits

The figures remain high and air quality continues to worsen to levels well above those declared safe by the World Health Organisation. This is particularly the case in Asian countries and developing nations, due to the use of high concentrations of fossil fuels in both energy production and transport. Today these sectors are responsible for producing 85 per cent of particulate matter and almost all of the sulphur and nitrogen oxides present in the atmosphere.

Increasing investment in renewables to reduce pollution

"Clean air is a fundamental human right that most of the world's population does not yet enjoy," said Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA. "No country – rich or poor – can claim to have fully addressed the problem of air pollution."

To this end, the World Energy Outlook seeks to provide answers, in particular by demonstrating how a 7 per cent investment in the energy sector could bring enormous health benefits. By 2040, premature deaths caused by air pollution could be reduced by 1.7 million. And this by acting on reducing the use of fossil fuels in energy production and through policies that provide adequate cooking and heating equipment in developing countries.

"We need to rethink our approach to energy development so that communities are not forced to sacrifice clean air in exchange for economic growth," Birol concluded.