Regions with Worst Air Pollution Receive Least Amount of Philanthropic Support

Less than 0.1% of all philanthropic funding has gone to the fight for clean air. Yet globally, nearly eight million deaths are attributed to the particles and gases that pollute the air – making air pollution the second biggest risk factor for premature death after high blood pressure.

“Air pollution is one of the world’s largest public health threats,” said Dr Christa Hasenkopf, senior fellow at the Clean Air Fund (CAF). “And not only do we underfund it, we’re not directing the funds available to where they’re needed most. Africa has twice the population of North America and more than twice the air pollution, yet it receives 35 times less philanthropic air quality funding.”

CAF’s report on philanthropic funding in air pollution reveals steep disparities in funding, where regions suffering from the worst polluted air receive the least amount of funding.

Worldwide, 99% of people live in environments that exceed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) air quality guidelines.

CAF found that between 2019 and 2023, philanthropic funding was heavily skewed towards North America, which received 35% of total outdoor air quality funding – yet thanks to over 50 years of clean air regulation, it broadly enjoys clean air.

Meanwhile, Africa and Latin America received only 1% and 2% of funding, respectively.

The lack of funding also has implications for air quality monitoring, crucial for protecting public health and guiding policies.

Hasenkopf noted that “over a third of countries still don’t monitor their air quality at all. But this is a story about opportunity, not just neglect: even modest philanthropic investments in local capacity can unlock pollution reduction for nearly a billion people.”

Philanthropies continue to play a critical role in environmental health, especially as unprecedented aid cuts rock the global aid economy.