More than a third (34%) of the world's population has been exposed to extremely high levels of ozone pollution this year, due to heatwaves and forest fires combined with human-caused emissions, according to a report by the European Copernicus service.

Published on: 09/30/2026 - 09:52

Air pollution which is worsening under the effect of climate change. Numerous heatwaves and forest fires, combined with human-caused emissions, have exposed more than a third (34%) of the world's population to extremely high levels of ozone pollution this year, according to a report from the European Copernicus service.

Asia was the most affected region with 53% of the population exposed to "extremely high" levels over the first eight months of 2026, shows the analysis carried out by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) of the European Union, published on Wednesday.

In North America, two thirds of the population were exposed to “poor” or “very poor” air quality, compared to 45% in Europe, indicates Copernicus, which was based on ground-based satellite observations coupled with atmospheric modeling.

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More frequent heat waves

Globally, in addition to the 34% exposed to “extremely poor” air quality, 17% breathed “very poor” air. In total, only 5% of the world's population was exposed to "good" ozone levels and 15% to "acceptable" conditions, the report said, highlighting the strong link between climate change and air pollution.

Ozone is a secondary pollutant that appears as a result of chemical reactions in the atmosphere. It is mainly formed from nitrogen oxides (NOx), emitted in particular by road and maritime traffic, industry and fires, as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particularly from industrial activities and combustion. And it is under the action of UV rays from the sun that these gases react chemically to form ozone.

The high ozone levels seen this year were fueled in part by record heatwaves and wildfires that ravaged Europe and North America, spreading far beyond their regions of origin.

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Cough, burning sensation or shortness of breath

Ozone can penetrate deep into the respiratory system, causing coughing, burning eyes or shortness of breath and may worsen asthma attacks or symptoms in people with respiratory illnesses.

Air pollution is "one of the most important environmental risks for human health", Ian Marnane of the European Environment Agency stressed during a press briefing, specifying that in Europe it causes around 180,000 premature deaths each year, including 60,000 due to ozone.

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“Particularly complex global challenge”

This phenomenon is all the more serious because "air pollution does not stop at borders. It can travel thousands of kilometers, cross continents and oceans, and affect air quality far from its source", underlines Laurence Rouil, director of CAMS.

“Despite significant improvements observed in recent decades regarding some of the most harmful pollutants”, particularly in Europe thanks to the directive on ambient air quality, ozone remains “a particularly complex global challenge” and represents “a major environmental risk affecting human health and ecosystems”, underlines Copernicus in a press release.

With AFP

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