01. Definition

What is air pollution?

Air pollution can be defined as an alteration of air quality that can be characterized by measurements of chemical, biological or physical pollutants in the air. Therefore, air pollution means the undesirable presence of impurities or the abnormal rise in the proportion of some constituents of the atmosphere. It can be classified in 2 sections: visible and invisibleair pollution.

Local: this concerns the quality of ambient air within a radius of a few kilometers
Regional: pollution like acid rain, photochemical reactions and degradation of water quality at distances of a few kilometers to a thousand kilometers
Global: depletion of the ozone layer and global warming caused by the emission of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2)

02. Causes

Air pollution causes

Air pollution is caused by the presence in the atmosphere of toxic substances, mainly produced by human activities, even though sometimes it can result from natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, dust storms and wildfires, also depleting the air quality.

Anthropogenic air pollution sources are:

Combustion of fossil fuels, like coal and oil for electricity and road transport, producing air pollutants like nitrogen and sulfur dioxide
Emissions from industries and factories, releasing large amount of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, chemicals and organic compounds into the air
Agricultural activities, due to the use of pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers that emit harmful chemicals
Waste production, mostly because of methane generation in landfills

03. Impacts

Air pollution Impacts

It is impossible to describe the whole extent of potential and actual damage caused by all forms of air pollution. But here are the main consequences:

On the environment: air pollution has a major impact on the process of plant evolution by preventing photosynthesis in many cases, with serious consequences for the purification of the air we breathe. It also contributes to the formation of acid rain, atmospheric precipitations in the form of rain, frost, snow or fog, which are released during the combustion of fossil fuels and transformed by contact with water steam in the atmosphere.
Global warming: on top of that, air pollution is a major contributor to global warming and climate change. In fact, the abundance of carbon dioxide in the air is one of the causes of the greenhouse effect. Normally, the presence of greenhouse gases should be beneficial for the planet because they absorb the infra-red radiation produced by the surface of the earth. But the excessive concentration of these gases in the atmosphere is the cause of the recent climate change
On human health: Our continual exposure to air pollutants is responsible for the deterioration of human health. Air pollution is indeed a significant risk factor for human health conditions, causing allergies, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases as well as lung damage

04. Solutions

Air pollution solutions

The Solar Impulse Label is granted to innovative solutions to air pollution that meet high standards of sustainability and profitability. Each solution goes through a strict assessment process performed by independent experts

Sep 2021

FastRig

Smart, cost-saving and recyclable wingsails for cargo ships

Mobility
Industrial Processes & Consumer Goods

May 2020

Use case available

Lanzatech Carbon Recycling

Turning our carbon crisis into a feedstock opportunity

Utilities (Water, Energy, Waste)
Industrial Processes & Consumer Goods

Jan 2021

GFK4new

An innovative new recyclate made from glass fiber reinforced thermoset waste

Industrial Processes & Consumer Goods
Utilities (Water, Energy, Waste)

Apr 2021

Use case available

Dryad Silvanet

Ultra-early detection system of wildfires using sensors, wireless network and analytics platform

Buildings & Constructions

05. Implementations

Air pollution solutions implementations

Lanzatech Carbon Recycling by LanzaTech implemented by H&M Move in Skokie (United States) in 2023

Lanzatech Carbon Recycling by LanzaTech implemented by ArcelorMittal in Ghent (Belgium) in 2023

Lanzatech Carbon Recycling by LanzaTech implemented by Givaudan in Geneva (Switzerland) in 2022

Lanzatech Carbon Recycling by LanzaTech implemented by Lululemon in Vancouver (Canada) in 2024

Dryad Silvanet by Dryad Networks GmbH implemented by South Pole group in Berlin (Germany) in 2022

Dryad Silvanet by Dryad Networks GmbH implemented by Vodafone in Madrid (Spain) in 2023

WAGABOX® by Waga Energy implemented by Veolia in Claye-Souilly (France) in 2022

WAGABOX® by Waga Energy implemented by Air Liquide in Rockford (United States) in 2023

WAGABOX® by Waga Energy implemented by SUEZ in Milhac-d'Auberoche (France) in 2022

WAGABOX® by Waga Energy implemented by PreZero in Els Hostalets de Pierola (Spain) in 2023

ODYSSEY by SEED-Energy implemented by Territoire d’Innovation in Ferney-Voltaire (France) in 2020

DRAMIX® by Bekaert implemented by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) in Gotthard (Switzerland) in 2016

DRAMIX® by Bekaert implemented by Société du Grand Paris / Eiffage in Paris (France) in 2020

RetroKit Energy Upscaling Technology by RetroKit Ltd implemented by Cork City Council in Cork (Ireland) in 2020

WeNow by WeNow implemented by Suez Consulting in Nanterre (France) in 2020

Graphene-Oil Ultra Matrix by CTROP Sàrl / Graphene-RGY implemented by Several Car Owners in Genève (Switzerland) in 2019

06. Conclusion

Air pollution prevention

There are ways to prevent, control and eventually reduce air pollution:

Renewable fuel and clean energy production: the most basic solution for air pollution is to move away from fossil fuels, replacing them with alternative energies like solar, wind and geothermal.
Energy conservation and efficiency: producing clean energy is crucial. But equally important is to reduce our consumption of energy by adopting responsible habits and using more efficient devices.
Eco-friendly transportation: shifting to electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles, and promoting shared mobility (i.e carpooling, and public transports) could reduce air pollution.
Green building: from planning to demolition, green building aims to create environmentally responsible and resource-efficient structures to reduce their carbon footprint

Connect with us

Any questions

Feel free to get in touch with us
pauline.michiels@solarimpulse.com

Explorer for sustainability

Bertrand dedicates his life to demonstrate the opportunities lying in sustainable development and to raise interest in profitable solutions to protect the environment.

Pioneering vision

As a pioneer, he understood that fighting climate change with clean and efficient technologies is opening-up new industrial markets and offering a unique and profitable opportunity for economic growth.

Collaborators

The Solar Impulse Foundation has entered in close and impactful collaboration with several international institutions, corporations, states and cities around the world to facilitate the identification, assessment, funding and implementation of efficient solutions.

Supporters

The Solar Impulse Foundation is working with like-minded incubators, accelerators and organizations, creating a qualitative worldwide network to boost the adoption of efficient solutions.

The search-engine for climate action

The Explorer is a one-of-a-kind search engine that showcases profitable climate solutions from all over the world which are part of an ever-growing, curated, and publicly-accessible database.

Explore

Industrial Processes & Consumer Goods

Buildings & Construction

Utilities (Water, Energy, Waste)

Agrifood & Natural Environment

Mobility

A label focused on both environment and profitability

Assessed by independent experts, the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution label, serves as a credible marker of quality to decision-makers in business and governments.

Submit your Efficient Solution

For the first time a label assesses the economic profitability of solutions that protect the environment.
Sign up to become a Member of the World Alliance for Efficient Solutions and submit it now!

What is the Experts’ role in evaluating the Solutions?

The Experts are key in the labelling process, using their technical and professional expertise to assess and critique Solutions seeking the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label.