Topic
Contamination of the air by particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen oxides and black carbon, a leading cause of premature death and ecosystem damage.
Global Climate and Health Alliance scorecard of 132 countries says the EU, China, Brazil and the UK mention health but lack the targets to protect it. Only five countries set black carbon targets, the alliance says.
Reality
University of Basel researchers found that fine particles from a small jet engine gained oxidative potential after simulated atmospheric aging. Particles from a marine diesel engine tested alongside it stayed largely stable.
Reality
University of Reading researchers pooling 22 studies find ozone cut pollinator performance by 42% on average and nitrogen oxides by 46%. Diesel cars stay on the road for more than 20 years after sales end, so the NOx share of that harm is set to run well past the UK's 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars.
Reality
Copernicus, the EU's atmosphere monitor, says 34% of the world's population breathed "extremely poor" ozone air from January 1 to September 15. Its report partly blames heat and wildfires and finds ozone flat even where emission rules have cut other pollutants.
Reality
The headline ratio in UNEP's Hidden Assets assessment leans mostly on the monetised value of lives not cut short. Strip that out and the same 25 measures still return about four dollars per dollar, which is the figure a treasury can bank.
Reality