Air Quality Report: Philadelphia Region and Sustainable Development Goal Implications

Incident Summary: July 26-27, 2025

An air quality event impacted the Philadelphia region and parts of New Jersey on Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27, 2025. The primary cause was identified as smoke originating from wildfires in Canada, highlighting a transboundary environmental challenge that affects urban sustainability and public health.

• Initial Alert: A Code Orange Air Quality Alert was issued for the Philadelphia region on Saturday evening.
• Escalation: Air quality deteriorated to Code Red levels in specific areas, including parts of Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore, from southern Long Beach Island to Sea Isle City and inland to Egg Harbor.
• Resolution: Conditions improved by Sunday morning following rainfall, which helped clear airborne particulates. An alert for South Jersey was later canceled.

Impact on Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

The air quality degradation posed significant risks to public health, directly challenging the objectives of SDG 3. Authorities issued specific health advisories based on the alert levels to mitigate adverse health outcomes and ensure healthy lives for all residents.

1. Code Red Alert (Unhealthy): Under these conditions, the general population was advised to limit strenuous outdoor activities and reduce time spent outdoors to prevent respiratory distress.
2. Code Orange Alert (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups): This alert targeted vulnerable populations, whose health is a primary focus of SDG 3. These groups were urged to avoid strenuous outdoor activity. Affected groups include:
   • Individuals with asthma, heart, or lung disease
   • Older adults
   • Pregnant women
   • Young children

Resident reports confirmed the health impacts, with individuals noting symptoms such as splitting headaches and expressing concern for their long-term health, underscoring the immediate threat of air pollution to community well-being.

Relevance to SDG 11 and SDG 13: Sustainable Cities and Climate Action

This event underscores the interconnectedness of several Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those concerning urban environments and climate.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The incident demonstrates the vulnerability of urban centers like Philadelphia to air pollution, a key challenge for SDG 11. Maintaining safe, inclusive, and resilient cities requires robust monitoring and response systems for environmental hazards. The reduced visibility, which obscured city buildings, serves as a tangible indicator of the environmental strain on the urban community and its infrastructure.

SDG 13: Climate Action & SDG 15: Life on Land

The source of the pollution—widespread wildfires—links the local air quality issue to broader global challenges addressed by SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires are widely associated with climate change, emphasizing the urgent need for global climate action to prevent such cross-border environmental crises. These fires also represent a significant threat to terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity, central tenets of SDG 15.

Public Response and Concluding Observations

Public testimony reflected a direct conflict between daily life and the health advisories necessary to uphold SDG 3. Residents reported tangible impacts on their well-being and daily activities. One Philadelphia resident, Maureen Cotterill, noted the severe reduction in visibility and the health complaints of family members. She expressed worry about the health implications, stating, “It’s worrisome. I’m old. I want to keep healthy.” This testimony highlights the direct human cost of poor air quality and the challenge it poses to maintaining well-being within communities striving for sustainability.

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

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article’s central theme is the health impact of poor air quality. It explicitly mentions that pollutant particulates “could make it harder to breathe” and details the health warnings associated with “Code Red” and “Code Orange” alerts. It also notes the particular vulnerability of sensitive groups, including “people with asthma and heart and lung disease, as well as older adults, pregnant women and young children,” directly linking air quality to human health. A resident’s daughter experiencing a “splitting headache” is a tangible example of the health effects discussed.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The issue is framed within an urban and regional context, specifically the “Philadelphia region” and “South Jersey.” The article discusses how poor air quality affects the daily lives of city residents, such as Maureen Cotterill, who states, “I can’t even see the buildings I typically see everyday.” This highlights the degradation of the urban environment and its impact on the well-being of its inhabitants, which is a key concern of SDG 11.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• The article identifies the source of the air pollution as “wildfires in Canada.” While not explicitly stated, large-scale wildfires are increasingly linked to climate change, which creates hotter and drier conditions conducive to such events. The transboundary nature of the pollution demonstrates how climate-related hazards in one region can impact others, underscoring the need for global climate action and resilience.

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

Under SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
   • The entire article is about the health risks (“unhealthy levels”) posed by air pollution. The issuance of “Code Red” and “Code Orange” alerts is a direct response to high levels of air pollutants that can cause illness. The advice for everyone to “limit strenuous outdoor activity” during a Code Red and for sensitive groups to “avoid strenuous activity outside” during a Code Orange directly aims to prevent illnesses caused by air pollution.
2. Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.
   • The article highlights the use of an early warning system. It mentions that the “Code Orange Air Quality Alert was in effect… according to AirNow.gov” and that the “National Weather Service also listed an Air Quality Alert.” This demonstrates a system in place to warn the public about an impending health risk, allowing them to take preventive measures.

Under SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

1. Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality…
   • The focus on the “unhealthy levels” of air quality in the “Philadelphia region” directly relates to this target. The article describes the adverse environmental impact on the city, with residents noting they “can’t even see the buildings” and feeling the physical effects of the “pollutant particulates.”

Under SDG 13: Climate Action

1. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • The air pollution event is a direct consequence of a climate-related hazard (wildfires). The community’s response, guided by the Air Quality Alerts, represents an act of adaptation. The information provided by AirNow.gov and the National Weather Service helps the population of Philadelphia and New Jersey build resilience by managing the immediate impacts of this hazard.

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

Indicators for SDG 3 & 11

• Implied Indicator (related to official Indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5)): The article does not provide specific numerical data for particulate matter. However, the “Code Orange” and “Code Red” alert levels are qualitative indicators directly based on quantitative measurements of air pollutants like PM2.5. The article states, “Air quality reached Code Red levels,” which serves as a proxy indicator for dangerously high concentrations of “pollutant particulates.” Progress would be measured by a reduction in the frequency and severity of these alert days.
• Implied Indicator (related to official Indicator 3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to… ambient air pollution): The article implies the measurement of health impacts through reported symptoms and concerns. A resident mentions her daughter’s “splitting headache,” and another expresses being “worried” about her health. While not a formal statistic, tracking the incidence of such reported illnesses during pollution events can serve as an indicator of the health burden.

Indicators for SDG 3 & 13

• Direct Indicator (related to Target 3.d and 13.1): The existence and functioning of an early warning system is an indicator of adaptive capacity. The article explicitly mentions the “Air Quality Alert” system from “AirNow.gov” and the “National Weather Service.” The successful dissemination of these alerts, which prompted residents to be aware of the issue, is a direct indicator of the country’s capacity for risk reduction and adaptation to health and climate-related hazards.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nbcphiladelphia.com