We are delighted to share Clean Air Fund’s report, The State of Global Air Quality Funding 2022.

This flagship publication provides the only global snapshot of funding by international development funders and philanthropic foundations to tackle outdoor air pollution. The State of Global Air Quality Funding 2022 investigates global funding flows between 2015 and 2021, including for the first time international climate finance that targets air pollution. 

In the fourth edition of their annual report they highlight once again the poor levels of air quality funding and the urgent need for more — and smarter — funding. They call for more joined up policies and funding to tackle air pollution, climate change and sustainable economic growth together. 

Please take a look at the publication and press release

Key findings from the report: 

·       Just 0.5% of international development funding, or $11 billion in 2015-2020, went towards improving outdoor air quality, despite the heavy health toll from poor air. 

·       Air quality funding from philanthropic foundations rose by 36% to an all-time high of $63.8 million in 2021, but remains less than 0.1% of total philanthropic spending. 

·       Between 2015 and 2021, $46.6 billion was committed by international development funders to projects that prolong the use of fossil fuel rather than tackling air pollution. Globally that was more than four times the amount dedicated to air quality projects in the same period and in Africa, that was more than 36 times more. 

·       Only 2.2% of international public climate finance explicitly tackles air pollution, showing that climate finance is a large untapped source of international development funding that could help deliver cleaner air. 

·       Air quality funding was concentrated in a handful of Asian countries, while regions in Africa, Latin America and some parts of Asia are consistently overlooked 

If you have any questions or feedback about the report, please contact their Director of Strategic Partnerships & Communications, Sean Maguire on smaguire@cleanairfund.org.

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