As world leaders and environmental advocates are gathering at COP29, discussions around climate and funding priorities are in the spotlight. Yet, amid these critical negotiations, an urgent issue remains underfunded and often overlooked: air pollution.

Air pollution is one of the biggest threats to human health, climate, and the environment. It cuts short millions of lives each year and is linked to a wide range of diseases, including respiratory illnesses and heart conditions. The same pollutants that dirty our air and harm our health are also warming our planet at alarming rates, and the economic toll of toxic air costs the global economy trillions of dollars each year. 

Despite this, global funding for clean air efforts is strikingly low, with less than one percent of international development funds allocated to this critical issue. In stark contrast, funding for fossil fuel projects – which drive the very problems we need to solve – surged by 350 percent in just one year. Philanthropy has a crucial role in shifting this equation. 

Historically, philanthropic efforts have bridged critical funding gaps, from improving healthcare access to advancing educational equity. Yet air pollution, despite its devastating impacts, remains significantly underfunded in the philanthropic sector, with less than 0.1% of global philanthropic dollars directed towards clean air initiatives. This is a significant oversight, as investments in clean air can have powerful ripple effects across public health, climate change mitigation, and economic stability. By funding clean air efforts, philanthropy can create transformative change. 

Regions that bear the brunt of air pollution are also those facing the most significant financial obstacles to fixing the problem. In middle-income countries, where the majority of international development funding for air quality initiatives comes in the form of loans, the burden of debt often hinders meaningful progress. A staggering 92 percent of outdoor air quality funding from 2018 to 2022 was delivered through loans, likely limiting uptake of air pollution financing for countries already grappling with debt burdens. 

Underfunded regions within Africa and Latin America, in particular, can benefit from the catalytic impact of philanthropic funding for air quality measurement that gets information into the hands of citizens who can demand change. Data on air pollution can also help make a strong case for future funding. Philanthropic investment in low-cost monitoring systems can enhance efforts to cut emissions, improving public health outcomes and climate resilience across regions. 

Foundations also play a crucial role in driving new solutions through innovation. Philanthropic resources allow for experimentation with clean air technologies – from advanced filtration systems to emissions-reduction methods – many of which need capital to scale effectively in high-pollution areas. Philanthropic funding can provide the necessary risk capital to expand these innovations, especially in parts of the world where financing options may be limited. 

Investing in clean air initiatives should not be seen as a single-issue effort. Improving air quality bolsters climate action, alleviates economic burdens, and promotes health equity. Philanthropy is uniquely positioned to tackle these interconnected challenges and drive long-term, systemic change, ultimately creating a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable future for everyone.

Jane Burston is CEO and Founder of the Clean Air Fund.