Air pollution is an energy security

Air pollution is an energy security concern in at least two respects: outdoor air pollution degrades
human health and increases hospital admissions, and indoor air pollution from using traditional and
stoves for cooking and heating causes premature deaths in women and children. Outdoor air pollution
is significantly caused by energy production and use as about 80% of sulfur dioxide emissions, 80% of
particulate matter emissions, and 70% of nitrogen oxide emissions come from the energy and transport
sectors.18
The International Energy Agency (IEA) notes that air quality has become a serious problem for
hundreds of Asian cities and towns. Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila suffer
from air pollution due to increased vehicle use, rapid rates of industrialization and urbanization, a reliance
on coal, and industries operating in close proximity to residential areas.19 The World Health Organization
(WHO) estimates that 517,700 people in Asia die annually because of outdoor air pollution, 275,600 in
the PRC alone. Of the 18 megacities worldwide with severe levels of total suspended particulate matter
emissions, 10 are in Asia and 5 are in South Asia (Karachi, Osaka–Kobe, Dhaka, Beijing, Jakarta, Delhi,
Shanghai, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Tokyo).20