News 29 October 2025
Check out the latest news articles, research and progress to tackle air pollution around the world.
Clean air central to achieving global climate and health goals
With South Africa as G20 host, Environment Minister Dr Dion George underscored the country’s commitment to clean air, calling for air quality objectives to be embedded at the heart of development finance, and a greater focus on regions previously left behind. He noted clean air is ‘central to achieving climate goals, health targets and sustainable growth’ ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit.
Low-cost air quality sensors empower communities to understand and act on air pollution
City leaders and residents are using low-cost air quality sensors to monitor and understand local pollution levels, showing how data is the first step towards cleaning the air. The Breathe London initiative is featured in this New York Times piece, illustrating how accessible air quality data can enable communities to take targeted action to protect public health.
Failure to tackle the climate crisis kills millions each year
Our continued reliance on fossil fuels is warming the planet, with rising temperatures killing one person a minute worldwide, according to the 2025 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change. Burning fossil fuels also produces toxic air pollution, stokes wildfires and causes drought and heatwaves – adding to the death toll. 2024 saw record deaths from air pollution (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke. The report calls for governments to stop financing fossil fuels and protect lives by adopting climate solutions from clean energy to city adaptation.
Councils in the UK fail to enforce air pollution laws
Councils in the UK are failing to enforce existing air pollution laws against illegal wood burning, campaigners Mums for Lungs have warned. Wood smoke is one of the UK’s leading sources of PM2.5. Air pollution causes 36,000 premature deaths in the country each year.
Funding for clean air in sub-Saharan Africa falls 91% in a year
A drastic fall in clean air funding for sub-Saharan Africa occurred in just one year (2022-2023), even as cities across the region lead with innovation – from expanded air quality monitoring to cleaner transport. Clean Air Fund’s South Africa Lead Vumile Senene calls for international donors to match local ambition to tackle the region’s air pollution.
Frailty in ageing populations worsened by air pollution
A review of studies finds that air pollution increases the likelihood of people becoming frail in middle and old age. These findings add to a growing body of evidence on the preventable health burden that poor air quality places on communities.
