• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Your Membership
    • Edit Your Profile
  • Services
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsored posts
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Events

Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

  • News
  • Features
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Press releases
  • Featured companies
    • BlueBotics
    • SICK Sensor Intelligence
    • Vicor Power

Sudden increase in air pollution threatens economic recovery, says report

September 4, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

There has been a sudden increase in air pollution which is threatening economic recovery in many countries, according to a new report by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

The environmental research organization estimates that “health damage from air pollution” has cost between 0.4 percent and 6 percent of annual GDP in the world’s leading cities in the first half of 2020.

By “health damage” CREA means such things as absence from work as a result of respiratory problems such as asthma, a particularly pertinent point at a time when a respiratory disease called coronavirus has ravaged the entire world’s population and caused untold economic damage.

Japan’s gross domestic product, for example, contracted by almost 28 percent in the period April to June this year, according to Nikkei Asian Review. The country’s economy overall shrank by 7.8 percent.

In the same period, India’s economy became smaller by 24 per cent and America’s GDP fell by more than 9 percent, reports the Economist. Both these countries are currently among the worst sufferers of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The recovery process is starting now, with more parts of the economy being released from government-imposed lockdowns.

But will tens of thousands of business closing down in each of those countries, the recovery is unlikely to be “V-shaped” as some economic analysts had predicted.

Meanwhile, the air pollution in the 28 cities assessed by CREA has increased, further undermining efforts to get economies and societies back to pre-coronavirus levels.

New Delhi, the capital city of India, is calculated by CREA to be the borne the biggest cost of air pollution to its productivity.

“New Delhi bore the highest cost of air pollution, amounting to 5.8 percent of its annual GDP,” says New Delhi.

The organization adds that the cities with the highest cost as a percentage of GDP are cities with the highest pollution levels: New Delhi, Beijing, Mumbai, Shanghai, Jakarta, Guangzhou, Bangkok, Moscow, Hong Kong and Seoul.

Other factors include prevalence of other risk factors for chronic diseases and level of health care services.

Cities with highest costs in dollars per capita tend to be cities with both relatively high pollution levels and income and cost levels, says CREA. In this category, Canberra, Los Angeles, Berlin, Seoul, Tokyo, London, Dubai and Bucharest top the list.

The particles that are classified as air pollutants include NO2, or nitrogen dioxide, and something called PM2.5, said to be the sixth highest risk factor for death around the world, according to Undark.com.

PM2.5 is described as “the most deadly” of particles emanating from smokestacks, vehicle engines, construction projects, and fires large and small.

Sometimes smaller than the width of a human hair, and very often the product of human activity, these particles are not just contributing to climate change, they are also a leading driver of heart disease and stroke, lung cancer, and respiratory infections the world over.

Fossil fuels are another big problem, says CREA. The organization estimates that fossil fuel PM2.5 pollution was responsible for 1.8 billion days of work absence, 4 million new cases of child asthma and 2 million pre-term births, among other health impacts that affect healthcare costs, economic productivity and welfare.

In terms of global GDP, the economic costs of air pollution from fossil fuels are estimated at $2.9 trillion in 2018, or 3.3 percent of global GDP.

These numbers “far exceed the likely costs of rapid reductions in fossil fuel use”, says CREA.

An estimated 4.5 million people died in 2018 due to exposure to air pollution from fossil fuels. On average, each death was associated with a loss of 19 years of life, adds CREA.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Skype
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Pocket

You might also like…

Filed Under: Economy, Features Tagged With: air, cities, cost, costs, crea, delhi, economic, economy, fossil, fuels, gdp, health, highest, levels, particles, percent, pm, pollution, recovery, respiratory

Join the Robotics & Automation News community

Reader Interactions

You must log in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Latest articles

  • Why is My Car Key Stuck in the Ignition?
  • Bachmann Engineering gains certification from Universal Robots for its robot module solution
  • Walmart and Symbotic expand partnership to implement automation system
  • Comau brings high-speed robotic precision to the cosmetics industry
  • EAVX unveils autonomous ‘walk-in van’ prototype
  • MassRobotics launches $50,000 robotics competition
  • Remy Robotics exits stealth mode with launch of third autonomous robotic kitchen
  • Radial expands relationship with Locus Robotics
  • Things to consider while choosing a 45ft flat rack container
  • Why Do Truck Drivers Need ELDs?

Most Read

  • Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
    Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
  • Track your lost Android
    Track your lost Android
  • Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
    Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
  • Remy Robotics exits stealth mode with launch of third autonomous robotic kitchen
    Remy Robotics exits stealth mode with launch of third autonomous robotic kitchen
  • Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
    Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
  • Top 25 vertical farming companies
    Top 25 vertical farming companies
  • The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
    The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
  • Top 10 graphics processing unit manufacturers: Nvidia clearly in the lead
    Top 10 graphics processing unit manufacturers: Nvidia clearly in the lead
  • What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire
    What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire
  • Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
    Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible

Overused words

abb ai applications automated automation automotive autonomous business china companies company control customers data design development digital electric global industrial industry logistics machine manufacturing market mobile platform process production robot robotic robotics robots safety software solution solutions system systems technologies technology time vehicle vehicles warehouse

Secondary Sidebar

Latest news

  • Why is My Car Key Stuck in the Ignition?
  • Bachmann Engineering gains certification from Universal Robots for its robot module solution
  • Walmart and Symbotic expand partnership to implement automation system
  • Comau brings high-speed robotic precision to the cosmetics industry
  • EAVX unveils autonomous ‘walk-in van’ prototype
  • MassRobotics launches $50,000 robotics competition
  • Remy Robotics exits stealth mode with launch of third autonomous robotic kitchen
  • Radial expands relationship with Locus Robotics
  • Things to consider while choosing a 45ft flat rack container
  • Why Do Truck Drivers Need ELDs?

Footer

We are…

Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.

Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.

Thank you.

Independent

Archivists

September 2020
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930  
« Aug   Oct »

Complex

Old-skool

This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.

If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.

We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.

Future-facing

Free, fair and legal

We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.

Member of The Internet Defense League

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT