Publications·December 30, 2023
Clean Air Asia’s 2023 Annual Report chronicles a year of resumed in-person convening, deeper technical engagement with cities and national partners, and steady organizational growth across Asia. It blends narrative results (projects, partnerships, influence) with institutional updates (governance, staffing, country networks) and an audited financial snapshot for transparency.
Mission and footprint
Clean Air Asia (CAA) is framed as a UN-recognized partnership (since 2008) of 250+ organizations working to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and to build healthier, more livable Asian cities. The report reiterates CAA’s operating model: science-based policy support, technical assistance and capacity building, and on-the-ground pilots—delivered through headquarters in Manila and offices in Beijing and New Delhi, plus six country networks (Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam).
2023 at a glance
The narrative emphasizes a “return to scale” after the pandemic pause. Flagship activities included the Better Air Quality (BAQ) Conference revival; country-level toolkits and roadmaps (e.g., construction dust in India; e-mobility planning in the Philippines); and tailored clean air action plan (CAAP) work with cities (e.g., Hanoi and Tangerang). Alongside technical execution, CAA leaned into awareness, communications, and partnerships that knit air-quality and climate agendas together.
Executive Director’s statement
The ED’s message highlights renewed collaboration and system-level solutions—spanning clean transport, dust control, port emissions awareness, and data governance—while calling out the persistent health risk of air pollution and the need to harness technologies and finance. The statement foregrounds “partnerships and implementation” as the lever from ambition to action.
BAQ 2023—“Ambition to Action: Clean Air for Health and the Climate”
Held 15–17 November at the Asian Development Bank HQ in Manila, BAQ 2023 was the first in-person BAQ since 2018 and drew 800+ participants from 39 countries, with 32 sessions and 15 side events. Headline themes included: (i) treating air quality improvement as climate action, (ii) the economic case for immediate measures, (iii) the importance of an airshed approach, (iv) methane reduction, (v) just energy transition, (vi) cross-sector collaboration, (vii) using innovative tech and data, (viii) inclusive engagement, and (ix) unlocking climate and clean-air finance. The conference is presented as both a marketplace of solutions and a coalition-builder that set directions for 2024–2025 programs.
Program highlights (country examples)
China: Continued collaboration with governments and wider audiences to promote evolving air-quality standards and climate-aligned discourse; strong online reach and partnerships supported policy discussion and public engagement.
India: A Construction Dust Toolkit was advanced to tackle particulate pollution from building activities. Framed as practical guidance and best practices, it influenced companies and policy debates on sustainable construction and SME/MSME operations.
Philippines: Development of an e-mobility roadmap to curb transport emissions and provide a replicable blueprint for urban mobility transitions elsewhere in the region.
City clean air action planning (CAAP): Work with Hanoi (Viet Nam) and Tangerang (Indonesia) focused on science-based strategies, integrating AQ management with public health and urban planning; this illustrates CAA’s city-first, co-benefits approach.
Governance & leadership
CAA is overseen by a Board of Trustees that meets quarterly, with Articles, Bylaws and an Operations Manual guiding corporate governance. The report profiles trustees drawn from policy, finance, academia, development, and industry leadership across Asia and Europe—bringing a mix of technical, strategic, and fiduciary oversight to the organization.
Country Networks (six and growing)
Indonesia (FUBI), Malaysia (MyCAN), Nepal (CANN), Philippines (PCA), Sri Lanka (CleanAirSL), Viet Nam (VCAP)—each network convenes multi-stakeholder actors (government, academia, private sector, civil society) for policy dialogue, capacity building, and coordinated implementation toward better air quality. These networks anchor national engagement and help cascade regional guidance into city-level practice.
Team and offices
Staff rosters in Manila, Beijing, and New Delhi underscore capacity expansion in 2023 across air-quality science, sustainable transport, communications, urban planning, and program/administrative support—reflecting the uptick in project delivery and outreach.
Financial overview (audited)
2023 support and income totaled US$ 5.163 million (up 15.7% vs 2022). Grant expenses were US$ 3.935 million, and general & administrative + fundraising + FX costs totaled US$ 1.156 million. The year closed with an operating surplus of US$ 72,838 and a fund balance of US$ 722,221. The statements—prepared under Philippine Financial Reporting Standards—received an unqualified opinion from SGV & Co (EY member firm). Visuals disaggregate grant spending (project implementation & staff, sub-grants, services, trainings, travel, equipment, misc.) and G&A (remuneration, rent/utilities, services, travel, trainings, depreciation, bank charges), giving donors and partners transparency into cost structure and delivery priorities.
What the year signals
Three strategic through-lines emerge:
Air–climate integration. CAA explicitly knits health-first clean-air goals with mitigation (e.g., transport electrification, dust control that reduces energy use and secondary PM, port and logistics emissions), aligning with “ambition to action” outcomes from BAQ 2023.
City-centric capacity building. With CAAP development in multiple cities and the City Solutions Toolkit approach echoed through the learning series and networks, CAA is positioning implementation know-how—planning, inventories & modeling, monitoring & communication, governance & financing—as the catalyst for durable gains.
Coalitions and finance. The report repeatedly stresses collaboration (ADB, CCAC, governments, academia, private sector) and the need to mobilize climate and clean-air finance to scale solutions—one of BAQ’s core takeaways.
Why this matters
Asia continues to face some of the world’s highest exposure to PM₂.₅ and ozone, with outsized public-health and economic losses. The 2023 report shows CAA doing what few organizations can at regional scale: convening, standard-raising, tool-building, and co-implementing with cities and national partners—while maintaining strong governance and audited transparency. The combination of technical depth (e.g., standards, inventories, transport transitions), city partnerships, and a finance-aware posture puts the organization in a credible position to accelerate cleaner, healthier, and more resilient urban development across subregions.
Keywords
Better Air Quality (BAQ 2023); Ambition to Action; clean air action plans (CAAP); air–climate co-benefits; construction dust toolkit (India); e-mobility roadmap (Philippines); airshed approach; methane; just energy transition; climate & clean-air finance; regional networks (FUBI, MyCAN, CANN, PCA, CleanAirSL, VCAP); audited financials; Manila–Beijing–New Delhi offices.