An estimated one in five deaths (18 to 21.5%) every year can be attributed to fossil fuel pollution, a figure much higher than previously thought, new research has found.

The research shows that more than eight million people around the globe die each year as a result of breathing in air containing particles from burning fuels like coal, petrol and diesel, which aggravate respiratory conditions like asthma and can lead to lung cancer, coronary heart disease, strokes and early death.