On April 16, 2026, at the invitation of Prof. SU Hang, director of the State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment and Extreme Meteorology, Prof. Jos Lelieveld from Max Planck Institute for Chemistry visited the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) and delivered an academic report entitled “Air pollution, climate change and human health”. More than 50 researchers and graduate students from related fields at the Institute attended the seminar.

Prof. Jos Lelieveld systematically elaborated on the causes and hazards of air pollution. He pointed out that current global air pollution is mainly caused by fossil fuel use and industrial activities. The pollutants, mainly fine particulate matter (PM) and oxidant gases, pose serious health risks. Short-term exposure can irritate the respiratory system and worsen asthma, while long-term exposure is linked to chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, COPD, and lung cancer. Globally, air pollution leads to millions of premature deaths each year. Prof. Lelieveld conducted an in-depth analysis of the relationship between pollution control and climate change. He proposed that reducing particulate matter (PM) emissions may accelerate climate warming in the short term, but he emphasized that clean air is crucial to human and planetary health and can provide co-benefits for public well-being and long-term climate stability. The report also shared suggestions on governance pathways such as formulating air quality standards and promoting renewable energy.

Following the report, participants had lively exchanges with Prof. Jos Lelieveld on cutting-edge topics such as atmospheric oxidizing capacity, ultrafine particulate matter composition, and regional coordinated pollution control.

Prof. Lelieveld is a world-renowned atmospheric chemist and a member of the German National Academy of Sciences, with decades of research expertise in atmospheric chemistry and climate change. His work centers on global atmospheric composition changes, air pollution, and their impacts on climate and human health. He has published over 20 high-impact papers in leading international journals such as Nature and Science, making significant contributions to global environmental change research. He served as Director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (2000–2025) and Head of the Environmental Prediction Department at the Cyprus Institute’s Center for Climate and Atmospheric Research. He is currently Chief Expert of the CAS President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI).

Prof. SU presents PIFI certificate to Prof. Lelieveld.

Seminar