Master of ceremony
• Mr. Rico Hizon, Senior Anchor and Director for Content Development, CNN Philippines

Welcoming Remarks on behalf of Host Government
• H.E. Mr. Yutaka Shoda, Vice-Minister of the Environment, Ministry of the Environment (MoEJ), Japan

Remarks from IBC on Climate Change Mitigation and Air Pollution
• Mr. Kaveh Zahedi, Deputy Executive Secretary for Sustainable Development, UNESCAP and Co-Chair of the IBC

Introduction on behalf APCAP Joint Forum Secretariat
• Ms. Dechen Tsering, Regional Director, UNEP Asia and the Pacific Office

Session description: This is the opening session of the Third Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP) Joint Forum.

Master of ceremony and Moderator
• Mr. Rico Hizon, Senior Anchor and Director for Content Development, CNN Philippines

Keynote address
• H.E. Mr. Malik Amin Aslam, Minister of Climate Change, Government of Pakistan

Panel discussion
• Ms. Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director – Economy Division, UN Environment Programme
• Mr. Yutaka Matsuzawa, Director General, Ministry of the Environment (MoEJ), Japan
• Ms. Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, Founder, Ella Roberta Family Foundation
• Ms. Karin Tuxen-Bettman, Program Manager, Google Earth Outreach

Visual Story Telling
• Ms. Leslie Finlay, Journalist

Session description: Air pollution is one of the key environmental crises in Asia and the Pacific, with 92 per cent or 4 billion people exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution. We have the solutions to beat air pollution, but they must be used to benefit not only on human health but also transform energy, leading to sustainable consumption and production, and leading to effective climate action.

There is encouraging progress in improving air quality, but there is still work to be done. Recent estimates show that population-weighted fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels in half of the countries in the region have declined since 2015.

Asia Pacific can lead the transformative action towards better air quality, capitalizing on momentum for clean air on building back better, committing to carbon neutrality, and strengthening cooperation on clean air.

This high-level session will discuss the how regional governments and organizations are working together to scale-up clean air solutions to beat air pollution, protect people’s health, contribute to carbon neutrality, and support green and zero carbon recovery. It will build understanding on the importance to accelerating clean air efforts and discuss how to ensure existing clean air commitments and plans become a reality through innovation and partnerships in policy and governance, technology, digital transformation, and finance.


Files:
Visual Story Telling – PPT – Leslie Finlay

Master of ceremony and Moderator
• Ms. Antoinette Taus, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Goodwill Ambassador for the Philippines, and Founder of CORA

Overview of Child-Centered Clean Air Solutions
• Ms. Seonmi Choi, Climate and Environment Advisor, UNICEF East Asia Pacific

Panel discussion 1 – Impacts of Air Pollution
• Dr. Vivian Pun, Air pollution epidemiologist, Vital Strategies
• Mr. Manjeet Singh Saluja, National Professional Officer, World Health Organization, India Country Office
• Mr. Nathanael Undas, Youth indigenous representative from Indonesia

Panel discussion 2 – Solutions for and by children, women, and vulnerable groups
• Ms. Soma Dutta, Socio-economist, ENERGIA
• Ms. Bulgantuya Khurelbaatar, MP and Chair of SDGs Sub-Standing Committee of the Parliament
• Ms. Alexandra Galef, Sustainability Development Leader, IKEA
• Ms. Nguyen Hai Linh, Youth Engagement Programme Officer of Live & Learn for Environment and Community in Viet Nam
• Hon. Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, Member of Parliament, Indonesia and AQA Indonesia

Session co-organizers: UNEP – EmPower Project, UNICEF East Asia Pacific Regional Office, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Vital Strategies

Session description: Everyone has a right to a healthy environment and to breathe clean air. With 92 per cent or 4 billion people living in the region exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution (UNEP, 2018), air pollution is one of the key environmental crises in Asia and the Pacific. It affects everyone, but the most vulnerable people include women, children, and ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities.

For women in low- and middle-income countries, household air pollution is the single leading environmental health risk and a main cause of non-communicable diseases (WHO, 2016). Young children are especially vulnerable, as the negative effects of air pollution on a child begins at the time of conception and continues during childhood.

Air pollution affects a child’s development, learning, and overall well-being. There is increasing evidence of its impact on a child’s physical and cognitive development emphasizes potential effects throughout their lifetime (UNICEF, 2017).

Scaling up clean air solutions should include child-centered, gender-sensitive, human rights-based clean air solutions. This session aims to raise awareness on the impacts of air pollution on children, women, and vulnerable groups, and to promote clean air solutions that are human rights-focused and successfully employ gender perspective and child-centered approach


Files:
UNICEF – Climate crisis is a child rights crisis – Summary
UNICEF – Climate crisis is a child rights crisis – Full Report
Child-Centered Clean Air Solutions Guide for Asia-Pacific – Seonmi Choi

Master of ceremony and Moderator
• Ms. Caterina Meloni, Founder, Connecting Founders Co. Ltd.

Session Introduction
• Mr. Bert Fabian, Programme Officer, Sustainable Mobility Unit, UNEP
Panel discussion
• Ms. Sonika Manandhar, Co-Founder and CTO of Aeloi Technology and Young Champion of the Earth for Asia Pacific 2019
• Prof. Ye Wu, Professor and Associate Dean, Tsinghua University, China
• Mr. Andy Pratomo, Head of Business Solutions, Gojek
• Ms. Pamela Chiang, Senior Transport Specialist, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, Asian Development Bank
• Mr. Loong Choon See, Deputy Director, National Electric Vehicle Centre at Land Transport Authority, Singapore

Session organizer: UNEP and Asian Development Bank

Session description: Transport remains as one of the main contributors to urban air pollution in many cities. Sustained urbanization and motorization will continue to drive the increase of urban air pollution unless appropriate policies and measures are implemented. The pandemic showed the impact of movement restrictions and closing industries and offices on air pollution. At the same time, digitalization and e-commerce have rapidly increased and brought about an increase and reliance on urban motorcycle deliveries. Public transport became unpopular while cars and motorcycles use increased as preference for personal transport prevailed. In most cities, cycling has greatly increased as many without cars and the poor find ways to meet their basic mobility needs.

As countries and cities re-open and rebuild, it is important to look at supporting low carbon and low emissions transportation systems to keep the improvements in air quality. Electric mobility is seen as one of the major solutions to decarbonizing the transport sector, and ultimately improving air quality. However, there are several challenges and barriers to widespread adoption.

This session will focus on sharing policies and experiences promoting sustainable transport including the role of public transport, digitalization, and electric mobility in meeting efforts to reduce air pollution in Asia Pacific.


Files:
Aeloi Technology – PPT – Sonika Manandhar
Environmental, Health and Climate Benefits from E-mobility in China – PPT – Ye Wu
The Future of Mobility – Andy Pratomo
The Future of Sustainable Transport: Electric Mobility and Digitalization to Address Air Pollution – Pamela Chiang

Master of ceremony and Moderator
• Mr. Rico Hizon, Senior Anchor and Director for Content Development, CNN Philippines

Fireside Chat
• Ms. Gita Sabharwal, UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand
• Dr. Supat Wangwongwatana, Advisor, Thailand Environment Institute representative
• Dr. Savitri Garivait, the Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand

Panel discussion
• Mr. Samart Noivun, Director of Strategy and Planning Division of Office of the Cane and Sugar Board, Thailand
• Ms. Thuy Le Thanh, Project Management and Communication Division, Hanoi Environmental Protection Agency, Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment
• Mr. Vidyut Mohan, co-founder of Takachar, 2020 Young Champion of Earth from Asia Pacific
• Ms. Merty Ilona, the Head Division of Pollution and Environmental Damage Control, Regional Government of Central Kalimantan Indonesia
• Mr. Worrawat Sriyook, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability, Mitr Phol Sugar Corporation

Session co-organizers: Live and Learn, Thailand Environment Institute, Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, Vietnam Clean Air Partnership

Session description: In Southeast Asia, practices such as open dumping and open burning of municipal solid waste are generally practiced in countries where recycling rate is less than 50 per cent. Improper management of waste contributes significantly to air pollution. Open dumps are the most hazardous waste disposal methods as these can easily pollute air and ground water. The pandemic created additional challenges in waste management in developing countries.

Crop residue burning has been linked to elevated PM2.5 in parts of the region on a seasonal basis, especially after harvest of before planting season. Many farmers still consider burning as a viable option for reducing labor cost, minimizing duration of cultivation, aiding pest control, removing weeds, and facilitating tillage. Despite the introduction of machinery as an alternative to burning, utilization, purchase and maintenance of farming machinery were often found to be too costly for famers.

The session aims to promote successful solutions to address open burning of agricultural crop residues and municipal solid waste and to discuss opportunities to scale up implementation of these solutions.


Files:
Review of existing good practices to address open burning
Burnt Cane – PPT – Worrawat Sriyook

Master of ceremony and Moderator
• Mr. Rico Hizon, Senior Anchor and Director for Content Development, CNN Philippines

Setting the Scene: Clean Air for Cities
• Dr. Markus Amann, APCAP Science Panel
• Ms. Karma Yangzom, Principal Environment Specialist, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, Asian Development Bank

Panel Discussion
• Ibu Vera Revina Sari, Acting Deputy Governor for Spatial Planning and Environment, DKI Jakarta, Indonesia
• Mr. Tetsuro Yoshida, Kawasaki Environmental Research Institute
• Mr. Dae-Geun Park, Director of Fine Dust Countermeasure Division, Gyeonggi Provincial Government
• Mr. Robert Anthony Siy, Head of the City Transport Development and Management Office, Pasig City Philippines
• Mr. Srinivasulu Krishnamurthy, Member Secretary, Indian Forest Service, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board

Session co-organizers: Vital Strategies, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Clean Air Asia

Session description: In many developing cities, rapid urbanization as well as rising demands for resources, energy and motorized transport contribute to serious air pollution. The data clearly demonstrates these impacts. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 97% of cities in low- and middle- income countries have air quality levels above the recommend value for public health protection. With half of the population of Asia Pacific living in cities, many people are breathing unhealthy air. Besides health, air pollution also poses a threat to the climate, agricultural yields, water security, labor productivity and human welfare.

At the same time, cities have not sat back idly in the face of these problems. In fact, cities ranging from Kawasaki to Jakarta to Pasig have adopted innovation solutions to air pollution or climate change. Many of these solutions have potential to deliver additional benefits for health and other development priorities. These solutions may have also gain additional momentum as COVID-19 lockdowns have brought a temporary reduction in some pollution levels. At the same time, pandemic recovery packages have injected fiscal resources into urban economies that could help invest in more sustainable transport, energy and waste management systems that avoid rebounds in the long term.

The session offers cities a platform to share innovative solutions for clean air and climate action and understand how they are transforming the COVID-19 crisis into an opportunity for cleaner air, a stable climate, and healthy people in Asia’s cities.


Files:
White Paper on Air Quality in Jakarta
Guide for Cities to Improve Air Quality
Policy Brief – Integrating Clean Air, Climate, and Health Policies in COVID19 Era
Clean Air Asia 2021 – Guidance Framework – Financing Air Quality Management
Clean air, healthy cities: Investing in green and sustainable recovery: Some relevant scientific findings – PPT – Markus Amann
Strengthening Knowledge and Actions for Air Quality Improvement in Asia – PPT – Karma Yangzom
Gyeonggi-do Fine Dust Management Policy – Dae-Geun Park

Master of ceremony and Moderator for fireside chat
• Ms. Zipporah Goetze, Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP)

Opening message
• Mr. Toshiyuki Yamasaki, Director, Ministry of the Environment, Japan

Fireside Chat
• Dr. Johan Kuylenstierna, Research Leader, Stockholm Environment Institute
• Dr. Zbigniew Klimont, Research Group Leader, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
• Dr. Eric Zusman, Research Leader, Institute for Environmental Strategies IGES

Panel discussion “Voices from the region”
• Moderator: Mr. Yasuo Takahashi, Executive Director, IGES
• Ms. Hadika Jamshaid, Ministry of Climate Change, Pakistan
• Ms. Siwaporn Rungsiyanon, Director of Transboundary Air Pollution, Pollution Control Department, Thailand
• Mr. Chandath Him, Deputy Director, Air Quality and Noise Management, General Directorate of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Environment Cambodia
• Mr. François Carcel, Urban Mobility and Transport Specialist, Agence Française De Développement

Closing remarks
• Dr. Drew Shindell, Special Advisor for Methane Action, Climate and Clean Air Coalition

Session co-organizers: Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Session description: All major air pollutants have an impact on the climate and most share common sources with greenhouse gases (GHGs), especially those related to the combustion of fossil fuels, which aggravate each other in multiple ways.

In 2018, the Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific: Science-based Solutions Report (UNEP and CCAC, 2018) identified 25 policy and technology clean air measures which could provide numerous benefits for public health, agriculture, and the climate. These measures are also important as, when implemented, they move countries into economic recovery deliver immediate economic goals, such as job creation, improved public health, and increased food security, and contribute to achieving climate and sustainable development goals.

A recent follow-up analysis for the ASEAN region reinforces these messages, which found that measures focusing on solid waste management, vehicle inspection and maintenance, and post combustion control, among others, bring further potential for clean air and for climate action in Southeast Asia. For these benefits to be realized, they need to be prioritized and reflected in countries’ national plans and climate change commitments through the Nationally Determined Contributions, NDCs.

The objective of the session is to demonstrate the potential benefits of implementing integrated actions for clean air and climate. It will feature launch of the 2021 Update to the Regional Assessment with focus on clean air measures for South-East Asia and discuss opportunities to advance these policies in the region.


Files:
UNEP 2018 Air Pollution – Science Based Solutions – Summary
UNEP 2018 Air Pollution – Science Based Solutions – Full Report

Master of ceremony and Moderator
• Mr. Zuhair Ahmed Kowshik, Regional Facilitator – Asia and the Pacific Children and Youth Major Group to UN Environment Programme

Speakers
• Mr. Nathan Borgford-Parnell, Science Affairs Officer / Regional Assessment Initiative Coordinator, Climate and Climate Coalition
• Ms. Nanticha Ocharoenchai, Founder, Climate Strike Thailand
• Ms. Jasmin Irisha Jim Ilham, Climate and Environment / Youth Expert, UNICEF
• Mr. Ernest Kristoffer Gibson, Climate Activist, Pacific (to be confirmed)

Session co-organizers: Asia-Pacific Youth Caucus, Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) and the Children and Youth Major Group of UNEP

Session description: Children and young people have been on the front line of an environmental health crises they played no part in creating. Every day, around 93 per cent of the world’s children under the age of 15 years breathe air that is so polluted it puts their health and development at serious risk, says the World Health Organization.

However, young people have raised their voices and taken stage in the fight against air pollution. Children and youth are important agents of change when it comes to tackling the environmental crisis. As highlighted in UNEP Global Environmental Outlook (GEO)-6 for Youth, the active engagement of children and youth in understanding the state of our environment (and the importance of protecting it) is critical if we are to achieve sustainable development globally. Young people can play a pivotal role in spreading actions across generations by being agents of change, joining collective activities, and raising awareness.

This session will bring together young leaders from the region to showcase clean air action and youth participation in developing and implementing clean air solutions. It will also highlight the role of youth in raising awareness on clean air and how it is key to enhance ambition to improve air quality and contribute to climate action.


Files:
Setting the Scene: Build Back Better for Healthy Air, Healthy Planet – PPT – Nathan Borgford-Parnell

Master of ceremony and Moderator
Ms. Sophie Punte, Managing Director of Policy, We Mean Business coalition

Way forward: Lessons and messages from the APCAP Joint Forum
• Ms. Isabelle Louis, Deputy Regional Director, UNEP Asia Pacific Office

Journey to COP: Raising ambition for air quality and climate
• Mr. James Grabert, Director, Mitigation Division, and Acting Director, Communication and Engagement Division, United Nations Climate Change Secretariat

Protecting our future: Voices of youth and children
• Mr. Myo-Zin Nyunt, Deputy Regional Director, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office

United we stand: Actions for the next forum
• Mr. Sung-nam Park, Director General of Environment Bureau, Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Closing remarks and thanks
• Ms. Isabelle Louis, Deputy Regional Director, UNEP Asia Pacific Office
• Mr. Toshiyuki Yamasaki, Director, Ministry of the Environment, Japan

Session description: This is the closing session of the Third Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP) Joint Forum.

Session co-organizers: UNEP, Climate and Clean Air Coalition, Clean Air Asia, ICLEI, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

Session description: The global rise in urban population provides cities opportunities to harness the co-benefits of improving air quality and protecting public health while also mitigating climate change. This underlines the need for scaled capacity building of city governments and continued learning for communities of practice in the region to integrate short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) into existing policies and plans. Achieving this feat would require an understanding of the core concepts of co-benefits from integrated air pollution and climate change planning, assessing the benefits and identifying and prioritizing solutions, and identifying policy and institutional frameworks to anchor measures and streamline planning processes.

A training workshop is being organized to help urban policymakers in Asia become familiarized with knowledge and tools needed to strengthen the integration between air pollution and climate change planning. This is being organized by Clean Air Asia, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Local Governments for Sustainability-East Asia (ICLEI East Asia), Climate and Clean Air Coalition, and UN Environment Programme, under the “Strengthening Air Quality Communities of Practice in the Asia-Pacific” project supported by the United States Department of State.

This workshop will use the training curriculum developed by Clean Air Asia, ICLEI East Asia, and IGES under the Climate and Clean Air Coalition funded the project “Integrating Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) Reductions into Policies and Practices in Cities in Asia (SLCP Integration Project).” The curriculum was piloted in three cities, namely, Chengdu in China, Santa Rosa in the Philippines, and Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.


Files:
Concept Note
Cities Training Curriculum CCAC, IGES, CAA ,ICLEI – English
Cities Training Curriculum CCAC, IGES, CAA ,ICLEI – Chinese

Session co-organizers: UNEP, US Department of State, Clean Air Asia

Session description: Air pollution is a serious public health crisis in Asia. It is the greatest cause of non-communicable diseases and is responsible for over 2.3 million premature deaths in many countries in the region. Health impacts are largest among the vulnerable population, including women, children, elderly, people with co-morbidities and the poor with limited access to healthcare. Changing trends and patterns of activity related to economic development, population growth, urbanization and industrialization, transport, and energy use, are driving increased air pollution in the region.

Air quality monitoring provides an understanding of air quality levels for public health protection, enables the assessment of air pollution trends and impacts, and helps guide the development and monitoring of effectiveness of policies and measures. While there have been great strides in monitoring systems and global earth observation, there are still significant data gaps and capacity challenges. Many countries continue to struggle to establish and sustain an air quality monitoring network. There is opportunity to address these challenges by supplementing regulatory air quality monitoring approaches with rapidly evolving technologies including non-reference sensors and satellite data, among others.

A hybrid air quality monitoring system combines non-conventional methods such as use of non-reference or low/medium cost sensors and remote sensing techniques, with conventional reference air quality monitors. The application of a hybrid system can address concerns of costs and extensive spatial coverage that is difficult to establish and maintain with the use of reference instruments alone. This method has been successfully implemented in several cities to track changes in air pollution from various sources, and lessons learned from these experiences can help other cities in Asia. To address concerns on accuracy of sensors, performance targets have also been published and users must be guided on the local calibration and assessment process.

To continuously foster a learning environment on emerging methods and developing monitoring systems, a regional community of practice on air quality monitoring must be strengthened to help more stakeholders understand status of air quality through monitoring, and access air pollution data to inform policies and measures.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP) and partners such as Clean Air Asia, with support from the United States Department of State, are supporting regional communities of practice on issues critical to air quality management in Asia-Pacific. This technical session will focus on understanding the status, developments, challenges, solutions, and lessons learned in the use of hybrid systems to strengthen the community of practice on air quality monitoring – providing a step closer to filling data gaps and informing action.


Files:
Concept Note
Use of Sensors in Air Quality Monitoring – Andrea Clements
Use of Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring Systems through Partnerships – Karine Léger
Technology as Solution: From Data to Action – Tim Dye