Clean Air Asia 2021 Annual Report

Clean Air Asia’s 2021 Annual Report captures how the organization kept momentum through a pandemic year—expanding programs, launching new guidance, and strengthening governance and finance—while operating largely in “hybrid” mode across Manila, Beijing, and New Delhi. It combines narrative results, country-network activities, and an audited financial statement for transparency.

Mission, approach, and regional footprint

CAA positions itself as a UN-recognized partnership (since 2008) of 250+ organizations working to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in 1,000+ Asian cities. The report reiterates its core model: build capacity, advocate effective policies and practice, and inform stakeholders about air- and climate-impacts—delivered via regional programs in air quality, transport, industrial emissions, and energy use. CAA participates in numerous international platforms (e.g., CCAC, PCFV, SLOCAT, ASEAN Working Group on Environmentally Sustainable Cities), leveraging these fora to align city action with global good practice.

CAA’s headquarters is in Manila with offices in Beijing and New Delhi, and six Country Networks—Indonesia (FUBI), Malaysia (MyCAN), Nepal (CANN), Philippines (PCA), Sri Lanka (CleanAirSL), and Viet Nam (VCAP)—that convene government, academia, private sector, and civil society around national clean-air priorities. These networks act as anchor points for policy dialogue, training, and implementation.

2021 highlights—program launches and city support

Financing clean air becomes a formal Guidance Area.
CAA added a new Guidance Area on financing AQM under the Guidance Framework for Better Air Quality in Asian Cities, launched in September 2021 on the International Day for Clean Air and Blue Skies. It equips cities with tools to design financial strategies that sustain implementation of Clean Air Action Plans (CAAPs)—a gap often cited by local governments.

City planning with C40 in Quezon City (Philippines).
With C40, CAA prepared a Roadmap for an Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) for Quezon City and supported the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department to fund a package covering emissions inventory, air-quality communication, health-impacts assessment, and monitoring. CAA also delivered a baseline air-quality study and helped establish the city’s non-reference monitoring network—pragmatic steps toward an AQMP targeted for completion in 2022.

China—ports, trucking, and on-the-ground enforcement signals.
Through the BlueGull Partnership Program, CAA backed five local NGOs across 8 seaports and 3 inland ports to reduce diesel emissions and dust. Field investigations documented fugitive dust problems at inland ports, prompting corrective actions at four facilities—an example of evidence-to-action that complements national diesel and logistics policies.

E-mobility training at scale—regional and city cohorts.
CAA co-organized two Asia-wide e-mobility trainings in 2021: a regional course in May (30 selected participants), and a multi-day series in Oct–Nov that combined a three-day regional training with four-day city-level cohorts for Kathmandu (Nepal), Hanoi (Viet Nam), and Pasig (Philippines). The aim: accelerate zero-emission public transport and urban logistics with the policy, planning, and operations know-how to make projects stick.

Viet Nam—industrial emissions and CEMS capacity.
CAA worked with provincial DONREs to strengthen the draft QCVN emission limits for coal thermal power and other industries. Trainings covered stack measurements, CEMS data collection, QA/QC, and control technologies—bridging regulation and plant-level practice.

Executive Director’s message—air–climate co-benefits and equity

The ED underscores an integrated strategy: reducing air pollution to save lives while cutting GHG emissions to stabilize climate. The report calls out the need to halve global carbon emissions and cut air-pollution deaths by two-thirds by 2030, arguing the pathways are intertwined. It also highlights environmental justice, noting disadvantaged communities face disproportionate exposure and urging collaboration across public, private, and civil society actors to deliver “real solutions” on the ground.

Governance and leadership

CAA is governed by Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and an Operations Manual under a Board of Trustees that meets quarterly. The 2021 Board roster blends former multilateral leaders, economists, city executives, and academic experts—reinforcing fiduciary oversight and strategic direction. Governance structure and quarterly cadence signal institutional maturity, which donors often seek for long-horizon partnerships.

Team and donors

The report lists staff across Manila, Beijing, and New Delhi, spanning air-quality science, sustainable transport, comms/advocacy, finance/admin—reflecting capacity expansion despite pandemic constraints. The donor slate spans multilaterals (ADB, UNDP, UNEP), philanthropic foundations (ClimateWorks, Oak, RBF, CIFF, Clean Air Fund), technical institutes (TROPOS, SEI), private sector (UPS Foundation, Toyota Daihatsu), and bilateral implementers (GIZ). The breadth of partners both diversifies funding risk and deepens technical credibility.

Financials (audited)

Support & income (2021) totaled US$ 3.1697 million, up 17% from 2020 (includes deferred 2020 grants realized in 2021; excludes 2021 funds for future periods). Grant expenses were US$ 2.3298 million. G&A + fundraising + FX amounted to US$ 817.6k (G&A—including FX differences—was 23% of 2021 revenues; 22% in 2020). The year closed with an operating surplus of US$ 22.3k and a fund balance of US$ 541.3k (inclusive of retirement-obligation remeasurement gains). Financial statements—prepared under Philippine Financial Reporting Standards—received an unqualified opinion from SGV & Co (EY). The report also details the composition of grant spend (implementation & staff, sub-grants, services, trainings/workshops, travel, equipment) and G&A (remuneration, rent/utilities, third-party services, depreciation, etc.).

Why 2021 matters in CAA’s arc

Even with travel and convening restricted for much of the year, 2021 shows CAA bending constraints into delivery: helping a major Philippine city (Quezon) build its AQMP “engine room” (inventory, comms, health, monitoring); nudging measurable actions at Chinese ports via civil-society partnerships; upskilling city teams on e-mobility; and lifting industrial emissions governance in Viet Nam through CEMS/QA-QC—in parallel with a new financing guidance area that addresses the implementation “valley of death.” That blend—policy + capacity + finance + demonstration—is exactly what cities need to move from ambition to action.

Bottom line

CAA’s 2021 portfolio demonstrates a city-first, co-benefits approach: structural measures that clean the air, protect health, and cut carbon; monitoring and data systems that support standards and enforcement; and finance-aware planning so CAAPs are bankable and durable. With strong governance and audited transparency, the organization is positioned to scale practical solutions across its country networks and partner cities—bridging the gap between guidance and on-the-ground impact.

Keywords

Clean Air Asia (CAA); Guidance Framework; financing AQM; Clean Air Action Plans (CAAPs); Quezon City AQMP; e-mobility training (regional + Kathmandu/Hanoi/Pasig cohorts); ports & trucking emissions; fugitive dust control; CEMS QA/QC (Viet Nam); country networks (FUBI, MyCAN, CANN, PCA, CleanAirSL, VCAP); audited financials; hybrid operations during pandemic.