Air pollution spiked after the Trump administration stopped embassy monitoring

In 2025, the Trump administration ended a long-running program to collect air pollution data at U.S. embassies. A new study suggests that led to a 24-33% increase in local pollution levels.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/6000x4000!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe9%2Fbe%2Fb2d620a64366b606757712b1c441%2Fair-pollution-2291713193.jpg' alt='Smog mixed with a thick layer of clouds covers the Metro Manila skyline in the Philippines on Aug. 27.'/><p>In 2025, the Trump administration ended a long-running program to collect air pollution data at U.S. embassies. A new study suggests that led to a 24-33% increase in local pollution levels.</p><p>(Image credit: Photo by Melvin James Urubio/NurPhoto)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5966503' />