International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics > Vol 19 > Issue 3-4

Bridging Economic and Environmental Health Principles to Mitigate Air Pollution Impacts

Yana Jin, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, China, jin.yana@pku.edu.cn , Shiqiu Zhang, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, China, zhangshq@pku.edu.cn
 
Suggested Citation
Yana Jin and Shiqiu Zhang (2025), "Bridging Economic and Environmental Health Principles to Mitigate Air Pollution Impacts", International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics: Vol. 19: No. 3-4, pp 369-430. http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/101.00000179

Publication Date: 17 Dec 2025
© 2025 Y. Jin and S. Zhang
 
Subjects
Cost management,  Environmental economics,  Health economics,  Climate change,  Public policy
 
Keywords
JEL Codes: Q51Q52Q53Q58
Air pollution policybenefit-cost analysisenvironmental healthmarginal abatement costclimate co-benefitsenvironmental justice
 

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In this article:
1 Introduction 
2 Health Impact from Air Pollution and Policy Responses Over the Past ~20 Years: A Brief Review 
3 Framework for Economic Principles for Safeguarding Human Health against Air Pollution 
4 A Phased Strategy as the Socially Optimal Strategy for Safeguarding Human Health Against Air Pollution 
5 Embedding Multiple Development Goals into the Pollution Control Framework 
6 Future Research Outlook 
Acknowledgements 
References 

Abstract

Modern environmental health science has revealed the complex, nonlinear, and heterogeneous nature of air pollution's health impacts. However, the economic frameworks used for policy evaluation often rely on static, spatially uniform assumptions that fail to capture these critical realities. This paper argues that to design effective and equitable air quality management strategies for a new phase of governance challenges, a more dynamic and nuanced economic framework is essential. We synthesize recent advances from both fields to develop an integrated analytical framework built on two core new approaches. First, we propose a dual-track Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) that distinguishes between long-term and short-term objectives. Second, we apply this framework to a three-phase prioritization strategy based on pollution levels, demonstrating how policy priorities shift across different stages. We further examine how this framework can incorporate broader goals like climate change mitigation and social equity. Ultimately, this paper presents a context-specific approach and a more realistic framework to guide efficient and equitable air-quality policies that safeguard human health while aligning with broader climate goals.

DOI:10.1561/101.00000179