Message on World Environment Day

19.6.5世界环境日致辞

5-Jun-19

2019年6月5日

The theme for this year's World Environment Day is air pollution. All around the world -- from megacities to small villages — people are breathing dirty air. An estimated nine out of ten people worldwide are exposed to air pollutants that exceed World Health Organization air quality guidelines. This is lowering life expectancy and damaging economies across the planet.

今年世界环境日的主题是空气污染。在世界各地，无论是大城市还是小村庄，人们都呼吸着肮脏的空气。据估计，世界上90%的人所吸入的空气污染物都超过世界卫生组织的空气质量标准。这种情况缩短了预期寿命，损害了各国经济。

To improve air quality, we must know our enemy. Deaths and illnesses from air pollution are caused by tiny particles that penetrate our defences every time we fill our lungs. These particles come from many sources: the burning of fossil fuels for power and transport; the chemicals and mining industries; the open burning of waste; the burning of forests and fields; and the use of dirty indoor cooking and heating fuels, which are major problems in the developing world.

要改善空气质量，就必须了解我们的敌人是谁。空气污染之所以导致疾病、造成死亡，是因为人们每次把空气吸入肺中，都会有微粒穿透其防御系统。这些微粒有多种来源，包括：为发电和运输而燃烧化石燃料；生产和使用化学品、从事采矿业；露天焚烧废物；森林和田野烧荒；将重污染燃料用于室内烹饪和取暖（此问题主要存在于发展中国家）。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号高斋翻译学堂

This polluted air kills some 7 million people each year, causes long term health problems, such as asthma, and reduces children's cognitive development. According to the World Bank, air pollution costs societies more than $5 trillion every year.

受污染的空气每年造成大约700万人死亡，引起哮喘等长期性健康问题，还损害儿童认知力的发展。世界银行的数据显示，空气污染每年给社会造成逾5万亿美元的损失。

Many air pollutants also cause global warming. Black carbon is one such example. Produced by diesel engines, burning trash and dirty cookstoves, it is extremely harmful when inhaled. Reducing emissions of such pollutants will not only improve public health, it could alleviate global warming by up to 0.5 degrees Celsius over the next few decades.

多种空气污染物还导致全球变暖。黑碳就是一个例子。它产生于使用柴油机、燃烧垃圾、使用重污染炉灶。吸入黑碳后危害极大。减少这种污染物的排放不仅能改善公众健康，未来几十年内还可能使全球变暖幅度减低0.5摄氏度。

Tackling air pollution therefore presents a double opportunity, as there are many successful initiatives that both clear the air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as phasing out coal-fired power plants and promoting less polluting industry, transport and domestic fuels. With investments in renewable energy sources outstripping those in fossil fuels every year, the rise of clean energy is helping globally. Cleaner transport is also growing around the world.

因此，通过解决空气污染问题，有机会一举两得，因为许多成功的举措既能净化空气又能减少温室气体排放，例如逐步淘汰燃煤发电厂、促进将轻污染燃料用于工业、运输、住宅等等。随着每年对可再生能源的投资超过对化石燃料的投资，清洁能源的兴起在全球范围内起到了帮助作用。世界各地的清洁型运输也在增长。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号高斋翻译学堂

It is in such initiatives, designed to improve air quality and fight climate change, that hope lies. I urge everyone attending the Climate Action Summit that I am convening in September to draw motivation from such examples. There is no reason why the international community cannot act. Precedent exists in the Montreal Protocol. Scientists identified a grave threat to public and planetary health, and governments and businesses acted to successfully protect the ozone layer.

这些改善空气质量、应对气候变化的举措让我们看到了希望。我将于9月召集举行气候行动峰会，特此敦促所有与会者从上述例子中汲取动力。没有理由表明国际社会不能采取行动。《蒙特利尔议定书》已树立了先例。科学家们确定了对人类健康和地球健康的一个严重威胁，各国政府和企业为妥善保护臭氧层采取了行动。

Today, we face an equally urgent crisis. It is time to act decisively. My message to governments is clear: tax pollution; end fossil fuel subsidies; and stop building new coal plants. We need a green economy not a grey economy.

今天，我们面临同样紧迫的危机，果断采取行动的时刻已然到来。我向各国政府传达的明确信息是：针对污染行为征税；停止补贴化石燃料；停止新建燃煤发电厂。我们需要的是绿色经济，而不是灰色经济。

On World Environment Day, I ask each of us to act so we can breathe more easily. From pressuring politicians and businesses to changing our own habits, we can reduce pollution and beat climate change.

值此世界环境日，我呼吁人人都行动起来，使大家能更轻松地呼吸。我们定能减少污染、战胜气候变化，办法是给政界和企业施加压力，同时改变自己的习惯。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号高斋翻译学堂