G. International Normative Framework
Air, vital for human existence, is acknowledged as a fundamental right. In this vein, the World Health Organisation Regional Office in Europe released its inaugural Air Quality Guidelines for Europe, assessing health risks posed by 28 chemical air pollutants(98). The second edition, published in 2000, expanded on these recommendations and introduced guideline values for additional substances, emphasising the need to mitigate health implications tied to air pollution. Since then, WHO has periodically issued updates, with the 2006 publication offering health-based guideline levels for major pollutants like particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, contributing to global pollution abatement efforts(99).
In the subsequent years, mounting evidence on air pollution's adverse health impacts prompted renewed focus. Acknowledging the changing landscape, the World Health Organisations efforts were reinforced by the Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly's resolution WHA68.8 in 2015, advocating for intensified measures to safeguard populations from air pollution's health risks(100). The advent of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals further amplified the impetus to address air pollution exposure and its health burdens, underlining its significance in global health agendas.
Concurrently, recognising the substantial health risks linked to household fuel combustion for cooking and heating, the World Health Organisation introduced specific guidelines to address IAQ in 2010. The Guidelines for indoor air quality: household fuel combustion provided evidence-based norms for clean household energy sources, such as solar, electricity, biogas, and natural gas, while emphasising the importance of achieving emission rate targets to safeguard health and the environment.
References
(98) The World Health Organisation, “The Air Quality Guidelines for Europe,” the World Health Organisation, 1987. Available online: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/107364
(99) The World Health Organisation, “WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines,” the World Health Organisation, 2021. Available online: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/345334/9789240034433-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
(100) The World Health Organisation, “WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines,” the World Health Organisation, 2021. Available online: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/345334/9789240034433-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y