Africa Clean Air Programme Drives Continental Action on Air Pollution

The Africa Clean Air Programme (ACAP) is a flagship initiative to tackle air pollution by aligning health, climate, and development priorities across the continent. In 2025, ACAP has moved decisively toward implementation, achieving key milestones that lay the foundation for coordinated action at national and regional levels. By providing a unified platform for clean air, ACAP aims at supporting countries in strengthening policies, institutions, and technical capacity to address one of the continent’s most pressing environmental and public health challenges.

A major achievement this year has been the completion of the ACAP Benchmarking Report, the first comprehensive assessment of air quality policy, institutional frameworks, and readiness across African countries. Being able to map the gap between policies and implementation, the report managed to develop a continental roadmap, which inputs were shared at the 2025 Africa Clean Air Summit in September 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The roadmap outlines a phased, regionally grounded approach to implementation, supported by technical assistance, policy alignment, and strategic partnerships.

To support translating strategy into action, CCAC is set to launch targeted projects in partner countries that will serve as advocates for ACAP and support Centers of Excellence to enhance air quality management capacity. The programme has also strengthened engagement with Regional Economic Communities, with upcoming features at the 2025 SADC Summit and potential formal recognition at AMCEN, alongside an African Union Commission statement. These developments underscore growing momentum for a unified platform for clean air in Africa, bridging national ambition, regional coordination, and continental leadership. 

Origins of the Africa Clean Air Programme

ACAP has its roots in a 2019 decision by the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) noting the need for an integrated assessment of air pollution and climate change in Africa. In 2022, in response to the leadership of Ghana during its co-chairmanship of CCAC, the Coalition, UNEP, and the African Union Commission (AUC) partnered in a process supported by the Stockholm Environment Institute and involving over 100 African scientists and institutions and over 27 AU member states to produce the Integrated Assessment of Air Pollution and Climate Change for Sustainable Development in Africa.

This landmark study, notably led by African experts, identified 37 key measures to improve public health and reduce emissions across the continent. Its recommendations were formally endorsed at both the AMCEN in 2022 and the African Union STC, signaling the need for the African Union to step in, and support the member state in addressing air pollution, emphasizing the continental and global recognition of the need for a coordinated approach. 

A regional approach was deemed critical due to the transboundary nature of air pollution, the potential for harmonized standards to generate economies of scale, and the greater negotiating power regional blocs hold with major industries such as refineries. The approach for ACAP builds on lessons from the transport sector, particularly the successes of the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles, which helped facilitate the elimination of leaded gasoline in Sub-Saharan Africa only a few years after it was formed in 2002. Through ACAP, partners seek to extend these strategies across sectors including household energy, power generation, coal, agricultural burning, and waste management, leveraging regional mechanisms to replicate and scale effective interventions continent-wide. 

Morocco

In 2025, Morocco continued to play a leading role on air quality action in Africa, combining national innovation with regional engagement. During the Accra regional consultations, Morocco showed practical experience from implementing its national Air Quality Programme (PNAir), showcasing ho the country has strengthening air quality management, expanded monitoring and operationalized coordinated approaches across national and municipal levels. Morocco is also progressing toward EURO VI vehicle emissions standards—the most advanced in Africa—targeting transport-related pollutants such as black carbon and nitrogen oxides, with the regulatory process currently underway and a formal launch anticipated in early 2026.

At the same time, Morocco’s experience in air quality governance, transport regulation, and inter-ministerial coordination is increasingly informing discussions across the continent. While the newly launched CCAC Regional Center of Excellence project has yet to begin implementation, Morocco’s existing institutional frameworks and technical capabilities position it well to benefit from and contribute to this expanded support once activities commence. 

Building on decades of experience in the transport sector, Morocco is applying lessons learned to other high-impact areas such as household energy, power generation, coal, agricultural burning, and waste management. CCAC-backed initiatives include the National Action Plan on SLCPs, a roadmap for methane assessment and mitigation across all emitting sectors, and pilot projects addressing methane emissions from landfills with energy recovery and MRV systems. Additional projects in progress include methane mitigation in livestock, the National Cooling Action Plan for efficient refrigerant use, and the upcoming food waste reduction strategy. CCAC support has also strengthened institutional capacity through training, multi-stakeholder workshops, and improved coordination between national and regional actors. 

Looking ahead, Morocco is focused on expanding its air quality monitoring network to 140 stations by 2030, scaling up successful pilot projects in biogas, sustainable livestock practices, and waste management, and integrating climate and air quality goals to generate co-benefits. These initiatives demonstrate how targeted CCAC support, combined with national ambition and regional collaboration, can deliver measurable improvements in air quality, public health, and climate resilience while serving as a model for other African countries. 

Ghana

In 2025, Ghana maintained a central role in advancing ACAP, demonstrating strong national commitment and regional leadership. The country hosted the ACAP Roadmap Design Workshop, convening technical experts, country representatives, and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to co-develop the structure and strategic direction of the continental roadmap. With technical guidance and financial support from CCAC, the workshop ensured robust country engagement, data-driven decision-making, and alignment across sectors and regions. This milestone strengthened Ghana’s contribution to the ACAP agenda and progress toward harmonized regional air quality action.

Building on this momentum, Ghana is preparing a national air quality management initiative focused on regulatory reform, capacity-building, and integration of air quality into development planning. CCAC support underpins these efforts through technical assistance, training programs, and policy guidance, particularly in establishing a national Center of Excellence to enhance monitoring, data systems, and policy implementation. By institutionalizing air quality management as a long-term development and health priority, Ghana is demonstrating how coordinated action, regulatory strengthening, and multi-level governance can deliver measurable improvements in urban and national air quality. This leadership provides a model for other African countries seeking to combine national ambition, regional collaboration, and international support to accelerate clean air outcomes. 

Madagascar

In 2025, Madagascar emerged as a regional champion for clean air in Southern Africa, leveraging its leadership within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to advance air quality management. The country hosted the SADC Summit on July 28, highlighting air quality as a priority for sustainable development, public health, and climate action. With technical and financial support from CCAC, Madagascar strengthened its capacity to integrate short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) into national strategies, including the development of a methane roadmap and a national SLCP plan. CCAC guidance also supported the creation of a regional Center of Excellence on air pollution, designed to coordinate technical assistance, harmonize regulatory frameworks, and build institutional capacity across SADC countries.

At the national level, Madagascar implemented targeted initiatives to improve air quality and protect public health. Key projects included public awareness campaigns on the socio-economic benefits of clean air, a national air quality bulletin with color-coded precautionary measures, waste sorting centers in major cities, operationalization of Judicial Police Officers for environmental enforcement, and development of national standards for green coal and vehicle exhaust emissions. CCAC support reinforced technical expertise, facilitated multi-sectoral coordination, and provided financial and advisory assistance, ensuring these measures are effective and scalable. These actions address urgent public health challenges, including high particulate matter levels, peak pollution in October and November, and air pollution-related mortality among children.

Looking ahead, Madagascar is prioritizing the expansion of its air quality monitoring network, promotion of ecological alternatives such as electric vehicles and clean fuels, scaling up waste sorting and recovery centers, and large-scale reforestation through the Green Wall Project. The country also aims to reduce or eliminate ozone-depleting gases. By linking national action with regional coordination, supported by CCAC expertise and resources, Madagascar is demonstrating how champion countries can drive locally led, regionally aligned solutions that strengthen governance, protect public health, and build resilience against climate and pollution risks in Southern Africa. 

South Africa

In 2025, South Africa solidified its role as a continental and global leader on air quality, leveraging its G20 Presidency to elevate the issue as a critical development, health, and climate priority. As G20 Chair, the country successfully positioned air quality on the global economic and development agenda, emphasizing its intersections with health, climate, productivity, and environmental justice—particularly in the African context. Through the first-ever G20 ministerial declaration on air quality, South Africa advocated for enhanced cooperation to advance regional clean air programmes in Africa, Asia and Latin America as well as collaboration to share expertise and build capacity. This milestone reflects South Africa’s dual approach of global advocacy and continental leadership.

At the national level, South Africa builds on decades of air quality management experience, dating to its 2002 legislation. Eight of nine provinces now have provincial air quality management action plans, and seven of eight metropolitan areas have municipal plans, supported by centralized monitoring and evaluation systems that feed into a national platform. Key initiatives focus on improving compliance and enforcement, expanding monitoring networks, and raising public awareness of air pollution impacts.

South Africa is also advancing technical and collaborative initiatives to link policy, finance, and implementation at scale. In 2025, the G20 Working Group hosted a series of technical workshops, bringing together government officials, scientists, and regional stakeholders to explore science-policy linkages, financing pathways, and operational frameworks for air quality management. These efforts --combined with CCAC’s targeted support in streamlining SLCPs in South Africa, and the country’s participation in the newly announced CCAC Country Accelerator Programme – are beginning to contribute to the country’s ongoing refinement of its national strategies and generating early insights that may be relevant across the continent.  While much of this work is still in its initial stages, South Africa’s combination of political influence, regulatory experience, and multi-level coordination positions the country to drive measurable improvements in air quality while positioning Africa as a leader on this critical agenda. 

Reflections from High-Level Meetings

Accra Conference on ACAP – May 2025

The ACAP Regional Stakeholder Conference in Accra in May 2025 marked a major step forward in regional coordination and stakeholder alignment for clean air in Africa. Starting with a virtual consultation that attracted over 100 participants from national governments, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), technical institutions, and international partners, then through in in person meeting in Accra in May 2025, countries and leaders convened to endorse the ACAP Benchmarking Report, agree on the structure and timeline of the continental roadmap, and recognize Countries for their leadership. The conference also reinforced the role of the Regional Economic Commissions such as ECOWAS, SADC, and EAC—in sharing implementation experiences and secured renewed commitments from development partners for technical and financial support, reaffirming ACAP as the continent’s platform for connecting national ambition, regional collaboration, and global advocacy on clean air.

AMCEN Conference – July 2025

The 20th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), held in July 2025, advanced regional action on waste by discussing a continental roadmap to address the open burning of waste, one of the most pervasive sources of air pollution across Africa and a priority measure under ACAP. With a formal endorsement, ministers emphasized the need for coordinated policies, stronger enforcement, and investment in sustainable waste management systems to phase out this practice.