Air pollution impacts our health, environment and economy. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes 7 million deaths every year. Air pollution also causes acidification and eutrophication of ecosystems and leads to global crop losses. In addition, air pollutants can also further exacerbate climate change, and a warmer climate, in turn, also affects air quality and impacts of air pollution.

Air pollutants come from multiple sources, such as traffic, industry and agriculture, and are transported over large distances and across borders. It is therefore paramount that we take action together — across sectors and national boundaries.

To improve air quality, UNECE member States have been working successfully since 1979 to reduce air pollution in the region through the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution.

This self-paced online course aims to raise awareness about air pollution and its effects, ways to prevent and reduce harmful emissions and the Convention and its protocols as an international framework for cooperation on cleaner air. 

The course features four distinct modules that aim to equip learners with the knowledge and resource materials to understand the main concepts in air pollution management, the basic principles of the Convention and Parties’ obligations under the Convention and its protocols.

This e-course was made available on UN CC:e-Learn through the new UN CC:Learn affiliation programme, which highlights high-quality e-learning products on climate change developed by recognized institutions outside the framework of the UN CC:Learn programme / without support from the UN CC:Learn Secretariat, in accordance with specific affiliation criteria. The objective of the UN CC:Learn affiliation programme is to enhance global climate literacy through dissemination of high-level learning products that complement UN CC:Learn resources.

To access the course: https://unccelearn.org/course/view.php?id=150&page=overview