<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Air pollution is a global emergency, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday, urging the international community to act together for clean air.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Guterres made the appeal in his message to mark the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, which falls on Sept 7 annually.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He pointed out that 99 percent of humanity breathes air laced with soot, sulphur and other toxic chemicals, with low- and middle-income countries suffering the highest exposures.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Every year, 7 million people die prematurely as a result, and air pollution is intimately linked to global heating, he added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Guterres noted that air pollution knows no borders, and can travel thousands of kilometers, spreading contaminates with the wind.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Global problems require global solutions. We must act together for clean air," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The UN chief underscored the need to accelerate "a just and equitable transition away" from fossil fuels, particularly coal, toward clean renewable energy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We must also support the transition to clean cooking and electric vehicles," he said. "We must encourage walking and cycling in cities, and put in place systems to make responsible waste management second nature. And we must act on the pledge to reduce methane emissions."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The UN General Assembly in December 2019 established Sept 7 as the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, underscoring the importance of clean air for the health and day-to-day lives of all. XINHUA</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>