biostudies-literatureNawaz MONational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)National Aeronautics and Space Administration1649https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12909814biostudies-literatureUnknown17(1)Climate action ameliorates public health by reducing hazardous air pollutants alongside greenhouse gases, yet misguided mitigation efforts could induce imbalances in air pollution exchange across international borders. Despite its potential to endanger equality, the effects from climate action on transboundary air pollution are relatively unstudied. Here we show that stricter mitigation increases the fraction of co-benefits that originate externally in Africa by +8% in shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP) towards sustainability (SSP1) and by +53% for fragmentation (SSP3). The fraction of externally originating co-benefits is greater in developing countries (0.76 in SSP1-26) than developed (0.65), indicating that developing countries are more dependent on external action. Although co-benefitNature communicationsNational climate action can ameliorate, perpetuate, or exacerbate international air pollution inequalities.PMC12909814NNX16AQ19G80NSSC19K0193Nawaz MOHenze DKfalseNational climate action can ameliorate, perpetuate, or exacerbate international air pollution inequalities.Climate action ameliorates public health by reducing hazardous air pollutants alongside greenhouse gases, yet misguided mitigation efforts could induce imbalances in air pollution exchange across international borders. Despite its potential to endanger equality, the effects from climate action on transboundary air pollution are relatively unstudied. Here we show that stricter mitigation increases the fraction of co-benefits that originate externally in Africa by +8% in shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP) towards sustainability (SSP1) and by +53% for fragmentation (SSP3). The fraction of externally originating co-benefits is greater in developing countries (0.76 in SSP1-26) than developed (0.65), indicating that developing countries are more dependent on external action. Although co-benefit2026-01-01T00:00:00Z2026 Jan2026-07-16T03:16:16.763Z2026-07-09T10:30:58.099ZS-EPMC129098144158801410.1038/s41467-026-68827-0