Why air pollution matters to sustainable trade

The relationship between economic growth and environmental pollution has been a longstanding global concern. Nowhere did the link become clearer than during the early stages of the Covid pandemic, when global air pollution declined by 31% year-on-year due to the worldwide lockdowns, according to mid-2020 findings by the US scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The reduction in everything from energy output to air travel sent the volume of airborne particulates tumbling. Traffic and industry slowed. Skies became clearer. Pandemic aside, we breathed easier.

But, as the world shrugs off the pandemic and continues to reopen apace, global trade is rebounding, even if geopolitics forces its restructuring. The resumption of trade and the increasing integration of global value chains raise questions about how governments, businesses, and communities must respond as they pursue economic gain. Which economic activities generate the greatest trade-related impact on the environment? Is there a correlation between national income and air pollution levels? Can an optimum blend of trade and environment policies be found?

https://www.hinrichfoun ... ent=20230307--