Over 100 countries worldwide agreed a collective ambition to halve the health impacts of air pollution and mitigate climate change by 2040, saving millions of lives annually. Following the conclusions of the recent Second WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health (25–27 March 2025), countries pledged new funding to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, while strengthening air quality standards in alignment with WHO guidelines.
Despite significant advancements, hundreds of thousands of deaths are linked to air pollution in the WHO European Region each year. This health burden is likely to increase due to population ageing and emerging links between air pollution and additional diseases and conditions.
Cleaner air, climate action and healthier communities in the European Region
Since the release of the WHO global air quality guidelines in 2021, WHO has been supporting countries in the WHO European Region in adopting the guidelines and accelerating action for clean air and climate change mitigation.
The 2021 guidelines have influenced decisions to strengthen air quality standards in over half of the countries in the WHO European Region, following the adoption by the European Union of the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive. This decision will lead to significant reductions in the health burden associated with air pollution.
WHO training and resources for the European Region and beyond
A comprehensive WHO resource package has been developed to support European countries in managing ambient air quality. This package, designed primarily for policy-makers, public administrations, experts and stakeholders, equips them with tools to effectively implement the 2021 guidelines and tailor actions to address the specific needs of their countries and cities.
A collection of case studies summarizing science-policy dialogues on the 2021 guidelines offers valuable insights to bridge the gap between scientific research and practical application, fostering the adoption of the guidelines. The case studies cover both the regional and national level, with specific examples from Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan and Poland.
WHO has also developed software tools that help health and environment practitioners define scenarios and quantify health gains from air pollution reduction and climate change mitigation measures. AirQ+ quantifies the health risks of air pollution in a given area, while CLIMAQ-H estimates the health and related economic gains that European countries can achieve by mitigating climate change through the reduction of domestic carbon emissions. To enhance national capacities, WHO has held several trainings, most recently in Georgia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Together, these trainings and resources support efforts for cleaner air, climate action and healthier communities throughout the WHO European Region.