Air pollution is a major health risk in urban areas and kills 7 million people worldwide each year.
Thanks to UNECE’s Air Convention, emissions of a range of harmful substances - including particulate matter and sulphur – have been cut by 30-80% since 1990 in Europe and 30-40% in North America. In Europe, these measures account for 1 additional year of life expectancy.
UN regulations developed at UNECE drive progress in cutting harmful vehicle emissions. The Worldwide harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) applies to all new passenger cars sold within the EU and EFTA countries, providing consumers with more realistic and robust fuel economy and CO2 emissions figures. UNECE has also started work on a global methodology to measure on-road car emissions which will further improve assessment.
UN regulations also support the development of cleaner fuel technologies – including for electric mobility.