Equitable energy transitions for a healthy future: combating air pollution and climate change

Yifang Zhu and colleagues argue that equitable energy transitions are critical to improving public health and reducing health inequalities

Energy systems—the entire network of processes, technologies, and infrastructure involved in producing, converting, distributing, and consuming energy—are the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions come mainly from the combustion of fossil fuels, which also contribute to ambient air pollution.1 Alarmingly, nearly the entire global population (99% of 8.2 billion) resides in areas that fail to meet the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines, with low and middle income countries experiencing the highest levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).2 Adding to this concern, WHO estimates that 3.6 billion people live in areas highly susceptible to climate change.3 Both air pollution and climate change pose threats to human health that can be addressed through coordinated and synergistic measures (fig 1).

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