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Ozone Alert: 1/3 World Faces Extreme Pollution
1 Oct
Summary
- One third of the world's population exposed to extremely poor ozone.
- Heatwaves and wildfires exacerbate ozone formation.
- Asia has the highest population exposure to ozone pollution.
An analysis by the EU's Copernicus Climate Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) indicates that 34% of the global population faced extremely poor air quality due to high ozone levels from January 1 to September 15, 2026. This widespread pollution results from heatwaves and wildfires interacting with emissions from industry and vehicles.
Ground-level ozone is harmful to health and ecosystems. Its formation is intensified by climate change, making it a persistent challenge despite reductions in other air pollutants. Record heatwaves and wildfires in Europe and North America, alongside El Nino-driven fires in Southeast Asia, contributed significantly this year.
Asia bears the brunt, with 53% of its population exposed to extremely poor ozone, driven by industrialization, transport, and agricultural burning. Cities like New Delhi, Dhaka, Chongqing, and Lahore reported "extremely poor" ozone levels.
While Europe and North America also saw significant exposure to poor air quality, EU regulations have been less effective against ozone. Africa experienced "extremely poor" air for 8% of its population, contrasting with Oceania's generally good ozone levels. Ozone pollution is linked to 60,000 premature deaths annually in Europe.
