Globally, around 4.5 million deaths each year, and estimated economic losses amounting to USD2.9 trillion, or approximately 3.3% of global GDP, can be attributed to air pollution from fossil fuels.
In the Philippines, air pollution from fossil fuels—primarily coal, oil, and gas—is attributed to cause an estimated 27,000 premature deaths per year, and can cost the country up to approximately 1.9% of GDP in economic losses annually, according to new research by Greenpeace Southeast Asia and CREA.
An estimated 40,000 children die before their fifth birthday because of exposure to PM2.5 pollution from fossil fuels, primarily in low-income countries. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)—a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion in vehicles, power plants and factories—is linked to roughly 4 million new cases of asthma in children each year, with approximately 16 million children worldwide living with asthma due to exposure to NO2 pollution from fossil fuels. In terms of productivity, air pollution from fossil fuels is attributed to cause around 1.8 billion days of work absence due to illness each year worldwide, equating to approximate annual economic losses of USD101 billion.
In the Philippines, coal-fired plants contribute a lion’s share to air pollution in host provinces, while vehicular emissions are the main culprit in the country’s urban centers. Data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) show that vehicular sources account for 65% of air pollution in the country, primarily in Metro Manila.
