UN reports link air quality and climate change to rising global mortality

The United Nations has released reports highlighting the inseparable link between climate change and air quality. In 2025, outdoor air pollution was linked to 6.4 million premature deaths, while indoor pollution caused an additional 2 million deaths, including 300,000 children. The reports also note significant health impacts such as 5.5 million new cases of childhood asthma and 2 million cases of dementia.

Climate change is exacerbating these risks through extreme wildfires, which have tripled since the 1990s. Wildfire smoke, often more toxic than urban pollution, has led to high concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) in regions including northern Canada, parts of Russia, West-Central Africa, and Northwest Spain. Additionally, rising heatwaves are increasing ground-level ozone, which damages both human lungs and crops.

In response to the climate crisis, technological advancements are focusing on carbon dioxide removal. Researchers at the Institute of Nanocience and Materials of Aragon (INMA) at the University of Zaragoza have developed ultra-thin membranes using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) capable of capturing CO2 directly from the ambient air. Meanwhile, in the automotive sector, Mazda is exploring engines designed to absorb their own emissions to mitigate environmental impact.