Background
Polluted air is creating a health emergency. Air pollution remains as one of the world’s largest environmental threats to human health. The Asia and the Pacific region is at the epicenter of this public health crisis, with about 4 billion people exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution. According to the 2022 Sustainable Development Goals Progress Report, progress towards reducing urban air pollution has been stagnant since 2015.
Everyone is affected, but women, children, the elderly, and people living in poverty are bearing the brunt of its impacts. It is infringing on the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Air pollution is also affecting the climate.
There is an urgent need to increase investment in and implement evidence-based policies which support clean energy and industry, sustainable mobility, better municipal waste management and sustainable agricultural practices. These efforts will reduce air pollution, support climate action, and help achieve other development goals. Strengthened international cooperation and collective action is also critical to turn the tide on air pollution.
This event
The Fourth Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP) Joint Forum will showcase practical and effective multi-sectoral clean air solutions and discuss importance of collective action to improve air quality, protect people’s health, contribute to a stable climate, and help achieve the Sustainable Development Agenda. The multi-stakeholder forum, hosted by the Gyeonggi Provincial Government in the Republic of Korea, will have the theme “The Air We Share: Scaling up governance, legislation, and finance action”.
The Fourth APCAP Joint Forum serves as a regional knowledge exchange and dialogue platform on clean air for the Asia Pacific region to:
- Inform the state of air quality in the region and recognize progress made to address air pollution at multiple levels (city, national and regional) and its benefits for climate, in line with the UN Environment Assembly Resolution 3/8 on Preventing and Reducing Air Pollution Globally.
- Share and exchange solutions addressing the key emission sectors with a focus on governance, legislation, and finance.
- Showcase innovative tools for reducing air pollution, including use of digital tools for air quality monitoring and assessments.
- Inspire and accelerate action through regional cooperation for clean air.
Programme
Monday 5 Sep 2022
09:00 Opening Session
12:00 High-Level Plenary: ‘The Air We Share: Strengthening regional cooperation towards beating air pollution and protecting people’s health
13:40 Session: Beating Urban Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific
SEI’s Chris Malley and Eleni Michalopoulou will be presenting key findings and messages from their assessment on improving air pollution in Seoul Incheon and Gyeonggi (SIG).
Tuesday 6 Sep 2022
07:30 Clean Air for Asia Pacific by strengthening governance and legislation
09:10 Investment for Clean Air Action in Asia and the Pacific
SEI’s Johan Kuylenstierna will be speaking at this session to introduce the concept of cost of inaction on air pollution.
12:00 International Symposium by the Korean Society for Indoor Environment
12:00 Side-Event: Knowledge sharing workshop: Learning how to reduce emissions from open burning
Wednesday 7 Sep 2022
07:30 International Symposium by the Korean society for Environment Health
10:00 Closing Session
12:00 Field Visit
Join us onsite or online
Virtual participation: Participants can join virtually through a Zoom platform. The link will be shared with participants after registration.
Onsite: Suwon Convention Centre, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea.
This event contributes to the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies in the Asia and the Pacific region.
