Publications·December 30, 2014
Clean Air Asia’s 2014 report is a year-in-review of programs that advance air quality management across Asian cities while building capacity, sharing data, and accelerating policy action. It opens with the problem statement—most urban residents in developing Asia breathe unhealthy air, with multiple short-lived climate pollutants (e.g., black carbon, methane, ozone) exacerbating climate risks—and positions Clean Air Asia’s Air Quality and Climate Change (AQCC) Program as the response through multi-sector engagement and integrated interventions.
A top 2014 milestone is the launch of the Integrated Programme for Better Air Quality in Asia (IBAQ Programme). It operationalizes an integrated approach built around policy guidance and outreach, direct program support, communications and awareness, research, capacity building, and air quality monitoring—with the Guidance Framework for Better Air Quality in Asian Cities as its core. The biennial Governmental Meetings on Urban Air Quality complement the Framework to harmonize approaches among Asian countries.
The Guidance Framework maps a six-area road-map for countries and cities: (1) strengthen ambient standards and AQ monitoring; (2) develop emissions inventories, source apportionment, and AQ modeling; (3) link AQ and emissions with health impacts and socio-economic costs; (4) design and evaluate clean air plans (with climate co-benefits); (5) communicate AQ and health information; and (6) improve governance (compliance, finance, institutions). A public draft was discussed with governments and UN agencies during the 5th Governmental Meeting.
Capacity-building expanded through Train-for-Clean-Air (T4CA) courses on AQ management, monitoring, course development, and emissions inventories delivered in Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Chiang Mai, Iloilo, Manila, San Fernando, Singapore, and Surabaya.
Clean Air Asia also launched the Cities Clean Air Partnership (CCAP) to incentivize measurable city action via a city certification framework and city-to-city partnerships. CCAP was launched in San Francisco with initial partners (US EPA, EPA Taiwan, South Coast AQMD, Bay Area AQMD, CPUC), and seven pioneer cities—Taoyuan, Taichung, Baguio, Pasig, Colombo, Kathmandu, Haiphong—were named during consultations at BAQ 2014.
A centerpiece of the year is BAQ 2014 in Colombo, Sri Lanka—Clean Air Asia’s flagship conference—co-organized with Sri Lanka ministries, Japan’s MOE, UNCRD, and partners (ADB, GIZ, World Bank). Over 1,000 delegates from 50 countries convened around the theme “Next-Generation Solutions for Clean Air and Sustainable Transport – Towards a Livable Society in Asia.” The program included 24 breakout sessions, 12 pre-events, and 4 plenaries, integrating the EST Forum and spotlighting pollution sources from cities and urban transport to freight, ports, power plants, industries, and households. The report frames BAQ as a catalyst for synergistic, impactful action.
Under Low Emissions Urban Development (LEUD), Clean Air Asia provided emissions-assessment tools (e.g., TEEMP) to support project, city, and national policies; contributed modeling for ASEAN’s Long-Term Transport Action Plan; and continued to publish open transport data including vehicle projections for all ASEAN countries.
LEUD also piloted on-the-ground sustainable mobility: greenways planning in Ortigas, Metro Manila to link MRT with a major business district and reduce motorized trips; a people-centric walking & biking pilot in Nehru Place, Delhi; release of the second-generation Walkability App at BAQ 2014; a cyclability toolkit including a planned Chinese-language version; and the region-wide WALK Campaign (nudging walking via signage), road-tested in Pasig City.
Through Clean Fuels & Vehicles (CFV), the organization supported inspection and maintenance systems, backed tighter fuel and vehicle standards, and helped Bangladesh and Sri Lanka draft low-sulfur fuel roadmaps. It published a Status Report on Clean Fuels and Vehicles (sulfur levels and emission standards), an Inspection & Monitoring report, and performed fuel-economy baseline calculations for the Philippines. It also contributed to China’s Handbook on Low Sulfur Fuels informing debates on tighter national standards.
The Green Freight & Logistics (GFL) program worked with partners (ADB, World Bank, UNCRD, CCAC) to put green freight on the global stage through the Global Green Freight Action Plan and EST/BAQ fora. Resulting country traction included support for initiatives in Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Thailand, Indonesia, India, with new program development in Bangladesh and Viet Nam, and policy embedding in Nepal’s draft EST strategy; work with GIZ and private partners in India advanced truck fleet emissions assessment tools. The program underscores that freight (only ~5% of vehicles) drives ~60% of transport emissions, and therefore needs coordinated public–private action.
Across the report, recurring themes are: supporting cities via structured assessment frameworks; strengthening monitoring and inventories; enabling modeling and source apportionment; multistakeholder convening (BAQ, CCAP, EST); and translating technical evidence into policy and investment decisions for urban transport, industry and household sources. The organization’s mission is explicit: translate knowledge into policies and actions to cut air pollution and GHG emissions from transport, energy and other sectors.
Keywords (from the text)
Air Quality Management; Guidance Framework; IBAQ Programme; Governmental Meetings; CCAP (city certification, twinning); T4CA training; Monitoring systems; Emissions Inventory; Source Apportionment; Modeling; Health impacts; Communication & Governance; BAQ 2014; EST Forum; Low Emissions Urban Development; TEEMP; Transport data; Walkability App; Cyclability Toolkit; WALK Campaign; Greenways; Clean Fuels & Vehicles; Low-sulfur fuel roadmaps; Inspection & Maintenance; Fuel-economy baseline; Status Report on Clean Fuels and Vehicles; Green Freight & Logistics; Global Green Freight Action Plan; Freight energy/emissions share; Public–private cooperation.