- 1Zhejiang University, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, China
- 2Zhejiang University, Policy Simulation Laboratory, China
- 3The University of Melbourne, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Australia
- 4Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, China
- 5Zhejiang University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health, China
Achieving the United nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains a significant challenge, necessitating urgent and prioritized strategies. Among the various challenges, air pollution continues to pose one of the most substantial threats to the SDGs due to its widespread adverse effects on human health and ecosystems. However, the connections between air pollution and the SDGs have often been overlooked. This study reveals that out of the 169 SDG targets, 71 are adversely impacted by air pollution, while only 6 show potential positive effects. In China, two major atmospheric nitrogen pollutants, ammonia and nitrogen oxides, resulted in an economic loss of 400 billion United States Dollar (USD) in 2020, which could be reduced by 33% and 34% by 2030, respectively. It would enhance the progress towards SDGs in China by 14%, directly contributing to the achievement of SDGs 1 to 6 and 11 to 15. This improvement is estimated to yield overall benefits totaling 119 billion USD, exceeded the total implementation cost of 82 billion USD with ammonia as the preferential mitigation target. This study underscores the importance of robust scientific evidence in integrated policies aimed at aligning improvements in environmental quality with the priorities of sustainable development.
How to cite: Zhou, Y., Zhang, X., Zhang, C., Chen, B., and Gu, B.: Mitigating air pollution benefits multiple sustainable development goals in China, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2439, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2439, 2025.
