How climate policies reduce air pollution saving lives and money

A decarbonised society means cleaner air and policies should be shaped accordingly, say researchers. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

The burning of fossil fuels that harms our climate also produces air pollution that damages ecosystems and harms our health. But we fail to tally up the benefits of reduced air pollution in our climate policies, and overlook opportunities to tackle these problems together.

A reminder of this failure is illustrated in a new study which has found that reduced air pollution from net zero policies in the US could result in a health gain of between $65bn (£51bn) and $128bn in 2035 alone.