Health co-benefits from air pollution and mitigation costs of the Paris agreement: a modelling study

Abstract

This study investigates the economic feasibility of achieving the Paris Agreement’s climate targets (2°C and 1·5°C) by analyzing the health co-benefits of air pollution reduction. Using integrated assessment and air quality models, the researchers simulated different emission abatement scenarios under various equity criteria. The results show that health co-benefits significantly outweigh the mitigation costs across all scenarios, with the median co-benefits being double the median costs globally. Notably, China and India could fully compensate for the cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through health co-benefits alone, while the European Union and USA experienced substantial benefits (7–84% and 10–41%, respectively). Furthermore, the study finds that pursuing the more ambitious 1·5°C target could generate significant net benefits for India and China, highlighting the potential economic advantages of taking stringent climate action. These findings suggest that substantial health gains can be realized by tackling climate change, reinforcing the argument for ambitious climate policies that incorporate the significant economic and health benefits of air pollution reduction.