UNEP, a United Nations agency, which has its headquarters in Nairobi (Kenya), led a 2-decade campaign to end leaded gasoline, eliminating a threat to human health.
The world started using leaded gasoline in 1922, with tetraethyllead as an additive to improve engine performance.
However, tetraethyllead is linked to serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer. The compound also affects the development of the human brain, especially harming children.
UNEP said:
- The use of leaded gasoline has been a catastrophe for the environment and public health
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, said in a statement:
- The successful enforcement of the ban on leaded petrol is a huge milestone for global health and our environment
- Overcoming a century of deaths and illnesses that affected hundreds of millions and degraded the environment worldwide, we are invigorated to change humanity’s trajectory for the better through an accelerated transition to clean vehicles and electric mobility
- Lead in fuel has run out of gas – thanks to the cooperation of governments in developing nations, thousands of businesses and millions of ordinary people
- Ending the use of leaded petrol will prevent more than one million premature deaths each year from heart disease, strokes and cancer
Guterres said:
- We need to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy
- We need global mobility with no emissions at all
UNEP’s Andersen said:
- We urge these same stakeholders to take inspiration from this enormous achievement to ensure that now that we have cleaner fuels, we also adopt cleaner vehicles standards globally – the combination of cleaner fuels and vehicles can reduce emissions by more than 80%
Author: Charles Kennedy
