Topic: 2025 – Impact of Climate Change on Air Quality
Country: China
Delegate Name: Shyla Chadda
United Nations Environment Programme
Impact of Climate Change on Air Quality
China
Shyla Chadda
Forest Hills Eastern High School
Air pollution has been a significant global concern since the Industrial Revolution, when the increased burning of coal led to higher emissions of pollutants. This has been combined with climate change, as greenhouse gases have altered the global climate and weather patterns. In 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) labelled air pollution as one of the most severe environmental health threats. In 2023, the WHO reported that approximately 8.1 million people die annually from air pollution, making it the leading environmental health risk globally. By 2050, climate change is projected to increase by 20% in major cities. According to the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service, in 2023, the increase in wildfires caused by climate change produced over 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Still, more than 2.4 billion people still rely on polluting fuels, worsening the air quality. The UN has taken steps to combat the environmental risk of climate change by focusing on tracking global air pollution trends. Additionally, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) helps countries reduce pollutants such as methane and carbon dioxide.
China emphasizes international collaboration and is a leader in addressing air pollution worsened by climate change. 1.6 million premature deaths per year occur in China due to climate-driven pollution and extreme weather obstacles such as wildfires and heatwaves. 64% of China’s population, who live in urban areas, are vulnerable to poor air quality. As a major manufacturing hub and with a large population, China has taken action and contributed as a member of the UNEP, WHO, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the CCAC. China is actively involved in participating in a positive change by contributing data, funding and policy committed to monitoring emissions. Through the World Environment Situation Room (WESR), China provides satellite readings that help track particulate matter, ozone, methane, and CO2 emissions. China also contributed to the Kigali Amendment, which committed to cutting HFCs. Additionally, in 2018, China launched the Blue Sky Protection Plan, which was specifically implemented to improve air quality. It targeted major pollutants with strict controls on industry and transportation use. The plan focused on converting millions of households from coal to clean energy and strengthening monitoring of pollution-harming factories. As a result, China’s national PM2.5 levels decreased by 40% from 2013 to 2020. China has reduced PM levels by 40%, a change, according to the UNEP, that is the “largest air-quality improvement in the world within a decade.” Furthermore, in 2021, China launched the world’s largest carbon market, which covered over 4.5 billion tons of carbon emissions. These actions align with China’s push to reduce the environmental strain of air pollution.
China remains committed to improving air quality while addressing the climate forces that worsen pollution. China focuses on cutting the major pollutants such as PM2.5 and ozone, reducing coal usage, and expanding to renewable energy. Furthermore, China highlights implementing further standards of stricter monitoring of risks. In doing so, China reinforces its commitment to both national health and international cooperation in confronting the air-quality challenges driven by climate change.
