India is in the process of improving its air quality. This is a much needed measure as 21 of the world’s 30 cities with the worst air pollution are in India. New Delhi has the poorest air quality among cities globally, with PM2.5 concentration levels nearly 10 times the WHO target.
Conventional wisdom considers air pollution an unavoidable by-product of economic growth, thus limiting the urgent response to it. Often, GDP per capita and growth rate are linked to emissions levels, one predicting the other. This has framed an understanding for many businesses that growth and good air quality are always in conflict, which has led to a perception that environmental regulations are a cost that holds back companies.
Clean Air Fund and Dalberg Advisors challenged this narrative by asking: how would solving air pollution benefit Indian businesses? Drawing upon big data analytics, a primary survey and existing literature, our report, Air pollution in India and the impact on business, illustrates how reducing air pollution will increase economic growth. It combines AI-based air pollution data with data on consumer footfall levels, employee traffic levels and business owner surveys to estimate business loss with greater accuracy and nuance than ever before. The results of this analysis indicates that there is a clear business case for clean air.
