‘An invisible killer’: Beijing cleaned up its toxic air. Why can’t New Delhi? | CNN

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Air Pollution in New Delhi

Introduction

More than 20 million people woke last week to a thick, acrid, and noxious smog that settled densely across the Indian capital.

Primary schools were forced to shut, vehicles restricted from traveling on roads and construction brought to a halt as a hazy gray enveloped New Delhi, blocking buildings from view and prompting residents to panic buy air purifiers.

Behind closed doors, state authorities and federal officials gathered to put together a plan that would clean up the city’s air after its Air Quality Index (AQI) passed 500 – a figure so high that experts warn it could be shaving more than a decade off the life expectancy of those who live there.

But the scene is hardly unprecedented.

Every year, New Delhi’s skies turn the same sickly yellow, prompting the same scramble by authorities to crackdown on the pollution. Every year, around this time, headlines about the issue dominate the news, reminding the country’s 1.4 billion people that smog season is back with a vengeance.

“It’s an invisible killer,” said Jyoti Pande Lavakare, author of “Breathing Here is Injurious to Your Health: The Human Cost of Air Pollution” and co-founder of clean air non-profit Care for Air.

“And unfortunately, there is just no political will to solve this problem from any party. There is not one party that has put its head down and said, ‘we are sickening the entire country and let’s fix it’.”

A Success Story: Beijing’s Clean Air Policies

New Delhi’s current toxic skies are reminiscent of another major Asian capital that about a decade ago was famous for a smog so thick that it could shroud entire skyscrapers from view: Beijing.

China’s capital has since cleaned up its act, which begs the question: if Beijing can clean up its toxic air, why can’t India too?

Like India, rapid industrialization and urbanization contributed to China’s remarkable rise as an economic superpower. And like India’s expansion, China’s came with an environmental cost: a deep reliance on fossil fuels and emission heavy industries that was making the air putrid with pollutants.

In Beijing, a city of nearly 22 million people, the air had become so bad that it was widely referred to as the “air-pocalypse.” Hospitals were often flooded with respiratory patients, and residents – especially families with children – were so desperate that many left the city to take jobs further south, and even overseas, where the air was better.

A key moment in China’s fightback came in 2013, when the government started to invest billions of dollars into a national air pollution action plan.

What followed was a rollout of new regulations, including restricting the number of vehicles on the roads in major cities, tightening environmental oversight and controls on emissions, building a nationwide system of air monitoring stations, and reining in coal and other heavy-polluting industries.

Beijing, said Frank Christian Hammes, Global CEO of IQAir, “took it seriously.”

“We see electrification. In restaurants, and on street food vendors, we don’t see coal being used anymore. The power generators have shifted to gas. All this has made a big difference,” he said.

In the decade since, China has seen its air quality improve dramatically. The country’s pollution levels in 2021 had fallen 42% from 2013, according to a report from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, which praised its “staggering success in combating pollution.”

A decade later, Beijing has long fallen off the top of the world’s worst pollution list and currently ranks 27 on the ranking by IQAir, a Swiss company that tracks global air quality.

Hundreds of Thousands of Lives Saved

China’s raft of clean air policies have been so successful, they have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, research has shown.

The report warned, however, there is still work to do and Beijing’s particulate pollution – the tiny but highly dangerous pollutants that can evade the human body’s usual defenses – is still 40% higher than in the most polluted county in the United States.

Nonetheless, the data shows China is on the right track. And many in India want to see similar progress in their country.

“India has everything in place to change what’s happening. We have science and the finance, but we lack a reduction-based approach,” said Sunil Dahiya, from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) in New Delhi.

In comparison to Beijing’s strict measures that were intended for long-term success, New Delhi’s have been “reactive,” he argued.

“These are not solutions,” Dahiya added.

A Blame Game

Publicly, local and national leaders repeatedly trade blame for the capital’s toxic air.

Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s chief minister and leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, considered to be the antithesis of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, has been accused of “inaction and insensitivity” by members of the national government.

They say Kejriwal’s team has done little in terms of implementing effective policies to clean New Delhi’s air. “Delhiites are complaining of itching and breathlessness and children are falling ill. Only Kejriwal is responsible for all this,” said Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva.

The AAP has retaliated by accusing the federal government of cutting their funding to tackle pollution and failing to take the issue seriously.

During a Supreme Court hearing last week, judges Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia appeared visibly irritated at the political backsliding. “There cannot be a political battle every time. We are at zero level patience on this issue now,” they said as they instructed authorities to ban fireworks ahead of Diwali and stop farmers from burning crops.

“Every party had at least air pollution in their agenda, but over time because of other factors that momentum has been lost,” said Dahiya from CREA.

Pollution might be taking a back seat, even for India’s citizens, Dahiya said.

“It picks up at times and dies down,” he added. “India is faced with lots of other vulnerabilities. It might not be an issue they talk about every day. But it’s one they certainly face every day.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs Addressed:

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
2. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
4. SDG 13: Climate Action

Targets Identified:

• Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
• Target 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services.
• Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
• Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

Indicators:

• Indicator 3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution.
• Indicator 7.1.2: Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology.
• Indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5) in cities (population-weighted).
• Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.

Analysis:

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to the following SDGs:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action

The article discusses the health impacts of air pollution on the population of New Delhi, highlighting the need for good health and well-being (SDG 3). It also mentions the reliance on fossil fuels and the need for clean energy sources (SDG 7). The article addresses the issue of air pollution in cities, emphasizing the importance of sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11). Additionally, it mentions the impact of air pollution on climate change and the need for climate action (SDG 13).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the following targets can be identified:

• Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
• Target 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services.
• Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
• Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

The article highlights the need to reduce deaths and illnesses caused by air pollution (Target 3.9). It also emphasizes the importance of ensuring access to clean energy services (Target 7.1) and addressing the adverse environmental impact of cities, particularly air quality (Target 11.6). Additionally, it mentions the need to strengthen resilience to climate-related hazards (Target 13.1).

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, there are indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Indicator 3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution.
• Indicator 7.1.2: Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology.
• Indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5) in cities (population-weighted).
• Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.

The article discusses the mortality rate attributed to air pollution (Indicator 3.9.1) and the need to transition to clean fuels and technology (Indicator 7.1.2). It also mentions the levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in cities, which can be used as an indicator of air pollution (Indicator 11.6.2). Additionally, it highlights the impact of disasters on population health and safety (Indicator 13.1.1).

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators