Dirty fuels a health crisis time bomb
Air pollution from burning fossil fuels is killing too many people. Asia and sub-Saharan Africa will suffer the most
Air pollution kills 6.5m people every year and is more deadly than HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis and road injuries combined, according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Polluting energy production and inefficient or unregulated use of energy are the biggest culprits and the problem is only going to get worse. Fuel combustion will increase steadily between now and 2040 – to meet an anticipated rise in global energy demand of a third. This will cause deaths from outdoor air pollution to rise from around 3m a year now to 4.5m by 2040. Burning coal alone is responsible for around 60% of global combustion-related sulphur dioxide (SOx) emissions while diesel generates more than half
Also in this section
12 March 2026
Role of world’s largest carbon cap-and-trade market under scrutiny as war in Iran threatens to drive EU energy costs to unsustainable levels
10 March 2026
Europe urgently needs to bring more projects to FID, as CCS investors warn they might divert capital to faster-growing regions
9 January 2026
A shift in perspective is needed on the carbon challenge, the success of which will determine the speed and extent of emissions cuts and how industries adapt to the new environment
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty
