Economic cost of mortality risks: a comparison between COVID-19 and air pollution

Air pollution is Europe's foremost environmental health threat, as highlighted by the European Environmental Agency. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the serious implications of air pollution and its potential to exacerbate diseases, including COVID-19, which could increase mortality rates. Both air pollution and COVID-19 disproportionately affect the elderly and those with pre-existing respiratory conditions. Despite this similarity, governments have been more effective in addressing COVID-19 mortality than air pollution. This discrepancy may be due to the perceived risk of COVID-19 being much higher than that of air pollution, even though air pollution may cause twice as many deaths annually. With projections estimating over 9 million deaths by 2050 due to air pollution, and considering the long-term impacts of climate change, urgent action is needed. The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the possibility of swift policy response with long-term economic considerations, presenting a critical opportunity for green policy initiatives. As the pandemic wanes, the urgency to leverage this momentum for environmental policy, particularly to combat air pollution and climate change, becomes more pressing, underscoring the significant health benefits of such actions.