3) UN marks first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies
In a message for Monday’s observance of the first International Day of Clean Air, on the theme, “Clean Air for All”, the UN chief notes that 9 out of every 10 people around the world breathe unclean air. He calls on all to join hands in building a better future with clean air for all.
“Air pollution contributes to heart disease, strokes, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases,” notes UN Secretary-General António Guterres, urging for greater efforts to address the problem of air pollution.
Citing UN figures, he points out that air pollution “causes an estimated 7 million premature deaths every year, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries,” threatening “the economy, food security and the environment.”
“As we recover from the coronavirus pandemic, the world needs to pay far greater attention to air pollution, which also increases the risks associated with Covid-19,” he urges.
This year, while the lockdowns associated with the global pandemic led to dramatic falls in emissions – providing a glimpse of cleaner air in many cities – emissions are already rising again, in some places surpassing pre-Covid levels.
Guterres calls for “dramatic and systemic change”, stressing, “reinforced environmental standards, policies and laws that prevent emissions of air pollutants are needed more than ever.”
4) Australia reaches agreement on vaccine funding
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that his country expects to receive the first batches of a potential Covid-19 vaccine in January.
Morrison said Monday that Australia had reached an agreement with pharmaceutical companies over two possible vaccines.
The new agreement would make available more than 84 million vaccine doses for the country of 26 million people, provided both vaccines pass clinical trials.
Under the agreement, pharmaceutical company CSL limited would manufacture two vaccines – one developed by AstraZeneca in collaboration with Oxford; the other produced by CSL itself, working with the University of Queensland in Australia.
Both potential vaccines are currently undergoing clinical trials. Approximately 3.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are expected to be available as early as January or February. The CSL vaccine should begin clinical trials later this year and might be available by mid-2021.
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