The Policy Brief - Enhancing air quality in North East Asia presents the key findings from a joint project of the OECD Environment Policy Committee and the Regulatory Policy Committee focused on regulatory frameworks, enforcement and co-operation to address air pollution.
The project involved case studies of China, Japan and Korea; as well as overviews of international regulatory co-operation initiatives to address trans-boundary air pollution, focusing on North-East Asia, the Canada-US Air Quality Agreement and UNECE’s Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution.
China, Japan and Korea – like many other countries that underwent periods of rapid industrialisation – share a common story of high economic growth and intense pollution followed by progressive efforts to improve air quality. The critical impact of air pollution on human health in both developed and developing countries is well-known.
The OECD projects that outdoor air pollution could cause between 6 and 9 million premature deaths a year by 2060 and cost 1% of global GDP – around USD 2.6 trillion annually.