Should governments make breathing clean air a human right?

It affects the quality of life of billions of people.

This week, smoke from the unprecedented wildfires in Canada is blanketing the skies over cities across the United States, making the air too toxic to breathe.

Climate scientists say such fires are increasing in frequency across the planet due to global warming.

And often it is the poorest people, and nations, the most vulnerable.

The UN has declared clean air and a healthy environment as a human right.

So will governments take it on, and what can they be expected to do to mitigate our changing climate?

Presenter: Imran Khan

Guests:

Maria Neira – Director of public health, environment and social determinants of health of the World Health Organization

Emma Bud – Clean Air Advocate at Client Earth, an environmental law charity

Abhiir Bhalla – Young environmentalist and advisor to the board of the Commonwealth Council for Human Ecology