U.N.-backed report: Meeting national standards could cut Delhi PM2.5 20%
India
Good news for Delhi: if the city sticks to national air quality standards, it could lower its PM2.5 pollution exposure by 20% by 2040, according to a new U.N.-backed report.
The catch? It all comes down to acting on time and not letting deadlines slip.
Yearly delay costs $1.5 trillion globally
If action is delayed by eight years (which is sadly the global average), that pollution drop shrinks to just 10%.
The report warns that late action means more people getting sick and substantially greater health impacts over the period.
Plus, every year of delay costs the world over $1.5 trillion in lost benefits, so speeding things up isn't just healthier, it's smarter for everyone's future.