Air pollution due to kill millions of rich and poor every year says study

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also warned that without changes to government policies, carbon emissions would rise by 50 per cent by 2050, putting the world on course for temperature rises of 3C to 6C by 2100.

The organisation’s environmental outlook to 2050 projected further losses in wildlife and pressure on natural resources, including fresh water, and said while forested areas would increase there would be more plantations with fewer species.

Presenting the report on climate change, environmental risks to health, biodiversity and fresh water, OECD environment director Simon Upton said: “This is a very grim report. It suggests that we are not steering in the right direction on many fronts.”

The report calls for urgent action to address the environmental problems the world faces, and warns Governments cannot tackle each issue in isolation.

With nearly 70 per cent of the world’s population living in cities by 2050, urban air pollution will overtake poor sanitation and dirty water for premature deaths.

The report predicts the number of people dying early from particulate matter (PM) doubling to 3.6 million a year by 2050.

Most deaths would be in China and India, but concentrations of one type of particulates, PM10s, will remain well above international air quality guidelines across the world.

Increasing urbanisation will also lead to more people dying early from ground-level ozone pollution. The most developed, countries will see the second highest rate of premature deaths, after India.

Transport fuels and power plants will be key pollutants and Mr Upton raised concerns that many countries – although not the UK – have higher taxes on petrol than on diesel, which is more polluting.

The report also projected world energy demand will be 80 per cent higher in 2050 than it is today, and 85 per cent of energy needs will be met by fossil fuels.