New partnership aims to improve Asia-pacific air quality

A new partnership aimed at improving air quality was launched on Friday (August 8th) by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Cities Clean Air Partnership is the first programme of its kind to be designed to clean up cities in the Asia-Pacific region. As well as the EPA, it also involves the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration, the Bay Area Air District, Clean Air Asia and the South Coast Air District.

While many US cities in the Pacific region have experience when it comes to reducing emissions and have made huge advancements in improving air quality, air pollution is still resulting in numerous deaths. The EPA's regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest, Jared Blumenfeld, said that over 3.7 million deaths are being caused worldwide by air pollution every year.

Air pollution results in around $3.5 trillion (£2.08 trillion) worth of costs on a global scale due to illness caused and premature deaths, according to Mr Blumenfeld. He said: "This partnership is taking a huge step forward to reduce global air pollution and achieve more livable, healthier cities for all.” 

The new partnership is hoping to improve the management of air quality in Asian cities, while also helping to reduce the impact of air pollution on health, encourage progress in terms of low-emission advancements and reduce the impact of climate change in Asia. In order to achieve these goals, a certification system and scoring system will be used. 

This will encourage cities to take steps toward improving air quality, by giving them the chance to earn certifications. Cities will also benefit from training on reducing emissions, support from the partnership, financial incentives and peer-to-peer learning. 

The Cities Clean Air Partnership means that cities in California and the wider US will be able to work with cities located in the Asia-Pacific region to improve air quality. They will be able to share new innovations and experiences that could help to cut back on emissions and clean up the air.