End of poisonous leaded petrol as last supplies exhausted in Algeria

The world is officially free of leaded petrol after Algeria – the last country on earth to have a refinery – finally depleted its supplies in July. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has hailed the conclusion of its 20-year campaign to rid the world of the toxic fuel as a climate victory.

In the 1970s, almost all petrol produced contained lead, impacting human and environmental health. The phasing out of leaded petrol will help save the lives of 1.2 million people per year, including 125,000 children who would otherwise die prematurely from cardiovascular, renal and neurological diseases, UNEP said.