When U.S. embassies stopped reporting air quality, pollution rose
For more than a decade, U.S. embassies and consulates provided independent, publicly available air-quality readings in cities around the world.
In a new study from Columbia Climate School, researchers found that the loss of U.S. embassy air-quality reporting led to a 33% increase in aerosol pollution in 46 cities worldwide. Satellite observations showed that the embassy reporting shutdown in 2025 coincided with the rise in pollution levels. The most significant increases were observed in cities without other publicly available air-quality monitoring systems.
The study suggests that public access to trusted environmental data plays a crucial role in holding governments accountable for pollution levels.
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