EU Statement – UN General Assembly: 2026 International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies

EU Statement – UN General Assembly: 2026 International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies 8 September 2026, New York – Statement on behalf of the EU and its Member States at the UN General Assembly C ommemoration of the 2026 International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, d elivered by Maria Holzinger, European Union Delegation to the United Nations Madam Chair, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the privilege to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. Let me begin by thanking the organizers of today's commemoration, which highlights new findings from the Global Economic Assessment of Integrated Climate and Clean Air Action. On the occasion of this year's 'International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies', we would like to recall the words of the Secretary-General, namely that 'air pollution is a global emergency – and a preventable one' as well as his reminder that 'solutions are within reach'. We share these sentiments. Within the EU we have established a comprehensive clean air policy framework that relies on three main pillars. First, the recently revised Ambient Air Quality Directive that sets stricter air quality standards to be reached by 2030. Second, the National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive, which commits to reductions in air pollution. And third, a range of legislation, which tackles air pollutant emissions from key pollution sources. Our clean air policies also feed into the ongoing work on the revision of the Gothenburg Protocol of the UNECE Air Convention, to reduce transboundary air pollutant emissions. Madam Chair, We have seen that solutions are indeed within reach and that clean air action works. We have the evidence to confirm this. In December of last year, we published a detailed evaluation of our National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive, which covers the emissions of five key air pollutants. This evaluation shows that clean air policy – in conjunction with our policies in transport, industry, energy, climate mitigation and more – has already delivered impressive results. The EU is now on track to reduce the health impacts of air pollution by more than 55% by 2030 compared to 2005. This policy evaluation also showed that every Euro spent for clean air generates at least four times the benefit. Greater ambition therefore delivers even greater economic reward. Madam Chair, This does not mean we have fully solved the challenges that air pollution poses. Still too many people across Europe are impacted by air pollution. Continuous efforts are needed to meet the revised EU air quality standards and the more stringent levels recommended in the WHO's Air Quality Guidelines. We therefore welcome today's launch of the new global analysis by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. It examines climate change and air pollution together through a single economic framework, thus highlighting further possibilities to improve air quality hand-in-hand with economic reward. In conclusion, we need to build on these successes, and we need all hands-on deck to continue to address the pollution crisis. We will therefore keep striving for the UN General Assembly to pay greater attention to pollution in all its dimensions, and to find and implement the solutions needed. I thank you.