PURPOSE: Encouraged by the increasing interest of the international community in clean air, and emphasizing the need to make further efforts to improve air quality, including reducing air pollution to protect human health, the United Nations General Assembly decided to designate 7 September as International Day of Clean Air for blue skies; The Day aims to prioritize the need for healthy air for all and to encompass other critical issues such as climate change, human and planetary health as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. The day also serves as a rallying call to action to collectively align efforts and claim the right to clean air.
FORUM: "Together for Clean Air.“ International Day for Clean Air and Blue Skies 2023. This year’s theme highlights that it is time to invest, work together, and contribute to clean air. Collaboration with the United Nations member states, the development organizations, the international and regional organizations, the private sector, and civil society organizations is crucial to reducing pollution and improving air quality. Access to a healthy environment is a human right. By shifting to renewable energy, adopting clean cooking, transforming global transport and food systems, and more, we can work to overcome air pollution and promote clean air for all. Learn about some innovators who are helping the world breathe fresher air. Follow the conversations with the hashtags, #7september; #WorldCleanAirDay, #TogetherForCleanAir.
EVENTS: On the 4th annual International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies everyone is invited to come Together For Clean Air. Participants will focus on the urgent need for stronger partnerships, increased investment, and share responsibility for overcoming air pollution. Air pollution, indoors and outdoors, directly impacts human and ecosystem health. We all share and breathe the same air; thus, we all have a responsibility to protect our atmosphere and ensure healthy air for everyone.
WEBINARS: From the World Health Organization (WHO) On 5 September 2023 at 1-2:15pm (CEST), the WHO Air Quality, Energy and Health Unit have held a groundbreaking webinar entitled “New opportunities for air pollution and health education: launching an OpenWHO online course for health workers”. In a landmark collaboration with over 30 international experts, WHO has developed the first WHO Air Pollution and Health Training toolkit specifically tailored for health workers (APHT) to be unveiled at the end of 2023. The toolkit includes downloadable and interactive training resources to inform and empower health care professionals. In anticipation of the toolkit’s launch, a readily accessible OpenWHO online training will be released at the margins of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies 2023. The webinar aims to:
Launch the OpenWHO course on air pollution and health: an introduction for health workers.
Showcase key initiatives aimed at raising awareness and equipping health professionals to tackle air pollution and protect public health.
Preview the upcoming Air Pollution and Health Training toolkit targeting health workers (APHT).
This webinar session will be recorded. Registed to participate and Click here to access the background document.
WEBCASTS: On September 7th, You are invited to watch the Climate and Clean Air Coalition webinar to mark the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies 2023 | Live from Nairobi.
STATEMENTS:
Statement from the U.N. Secretary General on the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies 2023.
WHO Regional Director's message on the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies 2023; September 7th.
PODCASTS: Air pollution knows no boundaries – neither should our efforts to stop it. It's time we break down barriers and work Together For Clean Air. Let’s talk about small few of the science-based actions that can be taken to manage air pollution while delivering simultaneous benefits for climate, public and ecosystem health, food security and sustainable development. Listen to the audio podcasts!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: Emphasizing the need to make efforts to improve air quality, including reducing air pollution, to protect human health. Everyone has a part to play in cleaning our air and protecting our health, and everyone can benefit from it: a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, including clean air, is integral to the full enjoyment of a wide range of human rights.
WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?
HOW TO GET INVOLVED?
PARTNERSHIPS
The International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies is organized by the Chief Scientists of the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Convention to combat Desertification (UNCCD), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants .
In that spirit, we call on researchers, industry leaders, decision-makers and political leaders to work together to:
Continue to strengthen and expand cooperation at all scales on transboundary air pollution, particularly around integrated monitoring, reporting, and knowledge sharing of experiences and good practices
Support development of a comprehensive global network of ground-based observations of atmospheric pollutants.
Identify co-benefits of action and prioritize policies that maximize synergies across multiple goals, national priorities and imperatives.
Undertake specific science-based actions to manage air pollution.
Clean air is important for the health and day-to-day lives of people, while air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to human health and one of the main avoidable causes of death and disease globally. Air pollution disproportionately affects women, children and older persons, and also has a negative impact on ecosystems.
Today, the international community acknowledges that improving air quality can enhance climate change mitigation and that climate change mitigation efforts can improve air quality. Encouraged by the increasing interest of the international community in clean air, and emphasizing the need to make further efforts to improve air quality, including reducing air pollution, to protect human health, the General Assembly decided to designate 7 September as the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies.