China, Japan and Korea – like many other countries that underwent periods of rapid industrialisation – share a common story of high economic growth and intense pollution followed by progressive efforts to improve air quality. The critical impact of air pollution on human health in both developed and developing countries is well-known.

The OECD projects that outdoor air pollution could cause between 6 and 9 million premature deaths a year by 2060 and cost 1% of global GDP – around USD 2.6 trillion annually.

These are the key findings from a joint project of the OECD Environment Policy Committee and the Regulatory Policy Committee focused on regulatory frameworks, enforcement
and co-operation to address air pollution.

The project involved case studies of China, Japan and Korea; as well as overviews of international regulatory co-operation initiatives to address trans-boundary air pollution, focusing on Northeast Asia, the Canada-US Air Quality Agreement and UNECE’s Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. 

In addition, projections for the impact of air pollution polices until 2050, with differing levels of regional coordination, were developed. The results show that ambitious policy action to tackle air pollution would provide substantial welfare benefits, especially in case of co-ordinated policy action.

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