The manufacture of goods that emerging countries export to rich countries creates a lot of pollution. Enough to cause 2 million premature deaths each year, according to a new Japanese study. Its authors call for the establishment of tariff barriers to encourage stricter anti-pollution rules in poor countries.
Fine particles
Power plants in many emerging countries emit a lot of “fine particles” (PM2.5) because they burn coal. These plants are in great demand by factories manufacturing goods for rich countries. “According to our calculations, half of the 4 million premature deaths in the world are linked to goods produced in emerging countries for rich countries,” explains Keisuke Nansai, of the National Institute of Environmental Studies of Japan, who is the lead author of the study published on November 2 in the journal Nature Communications. “Usually these are old people, but that also includes 78,600 baby deaths. The rich countries of the study, a very complicated model, correspond to the G20 countries.
Business ethics
Mr. Nansai wants to make consumers in rich countries aware of the deadly consequences of their purchases. “Governments are aware of these phenomena, but they do not have a popular mandate to help emerging countries improve their pollution regulations,” said the Japanese chemical engineer. If consumers realize these completely preventable deaths, they will accept that aid to emerging countries increases on this point. ”
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Keisuke Nansai, lead author of the study
François Reeves, cardiologist at the Montreal Heart Institute, confirms that fine particle mortality is a serious problem. While it is appropriate that the conditions under which the employees who produce these goods work, for example in China, may amount to “slavery”, Dr.r Reeves recalls, however, that “these factories have lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in 30 years.” “And today, China is at the forefront of green energies, with TGVs, solar energy,” he underlines.
Mr. Nansai admits that the enrichment of emerging countries linked to exports to rich countries can then allow them to adopt more restrictive and costly environmental rules. “But you can’t wash your hands of those untimely deaths,” Nansai said.
Adjustment mechanisms
Mr. Nansai suggests taxing goods from countries with poor air quality regulations, to encourage them to tighten those policies. This is a proposal similar to “border carbon adjustment mechanisms”. These import taxes are proposed by the European Union and Canada to protect their companies emitting a lot of greenhouse gases from competition from countries that do not tax greenhouse gas emissions. Michel Poitevin, economist at the University of Montreal and specialist in these carbon adjustment mechanisms, believes that it is difficult to dictate the political choices of other countries. “For greenhouse gases, everyone suffers the consequences, so the carbon adjustment mechanisms are justified,” says Mr. Poitevin. But local air pollution is another thing. It’s like child labor, or Uyghurs. If rich countries do not have a direct impact on the political choices of other countries, it becomes more difficult to intervene in local decisions. If taxes increase the prices of goods from emerging countries, won’t companies be tempted to place their orders with factories in rich countries? “No, I believe they will want to support the development of emerging countries, even if they do not save money by importing the goods they sell in their stores,” said Mr. Nansai.
1 for 28
1 premature death is caused in emerging countries for every group of 28 consumers in rich countries who purchase products made in these countries during their lifetime.
Source: Nature Communications