Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – The 12th Better Air Quality Conference (BAQ) was held from November 11th to 13th at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok.
The conference was jointly hosted by the Clean Air Asia Centre, the Asian Development Bank, the Climate and Clean Air Alliance, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the United Nations Environment Programme. Attracting over 1,100 delegates from more than 50 countries, the conference aimed to broaden financing channels to support sustainable solutions that deliver long-term economic resilience and health benefits; drive multi-sectoral action to reduce emissions from transportation, energy, industry, waste, agriculture, and other key sectors through integrated solutions; and strengthen partnerships to integrate the efforts of governments, funders, the private sector, technical experts, and social organizations to promote fundamental improvements in air quality.
As Asia's largest clean air quality event, the BAQ has become the most comprehensive and influential air quality event in the region, continuously building a platform for exchange and cooperation since its inception in 2002, providing scientific solutions for air pollution control.
He Kebin, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of the Carbon Neutrality Institute at Tsinghua University, representing China, delivered a speech titled "From Milestone to New Momentum," outlining China's journey towards clean air and its future path. He stated that, guided by three national-level clean air action plans, China has achieved a significant reduction in emissions of major air pollutants and a marked improvement in air quality over the past decade. Human effort has been the primary driving force in this process, with the most effective measures including upgrading coal-fired boilers, promoting the use of clean fuels in the civilian sector, and controlling emissions from industries such as steel, cement, and coking, as well as mobile sources. In March of this year, China's newly revised Ambient Air Quality Standards tightened the concentration limits for pollutants such as PM2.5. These stricter standards present new challenges for cities to meet the standards, necessitating continued efforts to strengthen the coordinated governance of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, and to scientifically plan pathways to compliance.
During the conference, participants exchanged views on air pollution control technologies, financing mechanisms, and inter-departmental cooperation through high-level plenary sessions, thematic forums, keynote speeches, and roundtable discussions, aiming to promote regional air quality improvement and achieve synergistic benefits for climate and health. (over)
