Better Air Quality Conference 2026: Daily Update – 11 March 2026

Today's discussions at BAQ 2026 indicated a clear shift in how air quality action and narrative are being framed across Asia. Clean air is increasingly being treated not as a standalone environmental issue, but as a development, health, and investment priority connected to transport, energy, agriculture, and urban systems.

A recurring theme across sessions was that the conversation is moving beyond diagnosing the problem toward identifying practical implementation pathways, particularly through investment platforms, regional governance mechanisms, and market-based solutions.

[Read opening remarks by Elliott Harris, Former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development and Chief Economist, Co-Chair of the Global Economic Assessment of Climate and Clean Air]

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Air quality financing gap remains a major barrier

A recurring theme across sessions was the persistent financing gap for clean air action.

Speakers emphasised several structural challenges:

• Air quality receives only a small share of development and climate finance
• Many investments that improve air quality are not tracked as air quality spending
• Governments often lack bankable project pipelines
• Fragmented institutional responsibilities slow implementation

However, there is growing interest among development banks, governments, and philanthropies to integrate air quality objectives into broader programs on:

• Transport modernisation
• Energy transition
• Urban infrastructure
• Agricultural reform

Speakers also highlighted the importance of private sector engagement in scaling clean air solutions, particularly in areas such as transport electrification, residue management markets, and innovative financing mechanisms.

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Airshed governance gaining policy attention

A dedicated session on "Achieving Clean Air at Scale" focused on airshed-based air quality management, an approach increasingly discussed in Asia.

The core idea is simple: Air pollution moves across administrative boundaries, but policy responses often remain fragmented.

An airshed refers to a geographic area where air pollutants mix and circulate due to shared meteorological conditions.

Key factors used to define airsheds include:

• Wind patterns and atmospheric circulation
• Temperature inversions
• Topography, such as valleys or basins
• Distribution of emission sources
• Atmospheric transport modelling

Using tools such as WRF, CMAQ, and HYSPLIT models, researchers can identify pollution transport pathways and major contributing sources.

In India, airshed analysis across the Indo-Gangetic Plain has already prompted the creation of coordination mechanisms under the National Clean Air Programme to better manage cross-boundary pollution.

As highlighted during the session discussions, "air pollution moves across boundaries, but authority often does not," underscoring the need for governance mechanisms that align science, policy, and financing across jurisdictions.

Participants also noted growing concern around tropospheric ozone, with researchers highlighting the need for improved monitoring and policy responses alongside PM2.5 reduction efforts.

Urban and Transport Systems

Electrifying bus fleets is a major opportunity to improve clean air. Thailand's transport agencies presented plans to accelerate the deployment of electric buses as part of broader decarbonisation and air-quality efforts.

Key messages included:

• Bus fleets represent a major source of urban emissions
• Electric buses can dramatically reduce PM2.5 emissions
• Total cost of ownership is becoming competitive with conventional vehicles

The broader framing was notable: clean transport policies gain stronger political traction when positioned around public health and urban livability rather than climate targets alone.

Open Burning and Wildfires

Regional cooperation on agricultural burning remains critical.

Key points raised:

• Agricultural burning, peat fires, and forest fires remain major drivers of PM2.5 and black carbon
• Pollution episodes intensify during dry seasons and contribute to transboundary haze
• Climate change is increasing wildfire risk and prolonging fire seasons

Speakers consistently emphasised that bans alone will not solve the problem. Effective solutions require:

• Viable alternatives to residue burning
• Economic incentives for farmers
• Stronger wildfire prevention strategies
• Regional cooperation on haze management

"Across Southeast Asia, crop residue burning and peatland fires remain major drivers of PM2.5 and black carbon. Breaking this cycle requires an integrated approach that links agriculture, land use planning, air quality management, and public health." — Mazharul Alam, Regional Climate Change Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific, UNEP

"The challenge ahead is not a lack of knowledge or data. The real challenge is translating that knowledge into meaningful incentives that make it worthwhile for farmers to shift away from burning." — Michael Buckley, Counsellor for Environment, Agriculture and Health, Delegation of the European Union to Thailand

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AQMx highlighted as an implementation tool

The Air Quality Management Exchange (AQMx) platform was presented as a practical tool to support governments and practitioners.

AQMx serves as a global knowledge hub for designing and implementing effective air quality management policies.

The platform provides:

• Technical guidance on air quality management
• Curated knowledge resources
• Sector-specific implementation frameworks

Recent guidance focuses on alternatives to crop residue burning, emphasising the need to provide farmers with economically viable options rather than relying solely on enforcement.

Upcoming AQMx guidance will address wildfire management, with a focus on prevention, risk reduction, and stronger institutional coordination.

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Country Signals Emerging from BAQ 2026

Several countries' experiences highlighted practical approaches to improving air quality:

China: Coordinated sector reforms in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei have reduced PM2.5 concentrations by around 40 per cent since 2015.

Mongolia: Residential fuel reforms helped cut winter PM2.5 levels in Ulaanbaatar by nearly half within two winters.

India: Airshed governance frameworks and emissions trading systems are emerging tools to address regional pollution.

Nigeria: Pollution taxation and private sector participation in monitoring are strengthening accountability and emissions reductions.

Thailand is emerging as a test case for integrated air quality and climate investment

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) presented a proposed Thailand Integrated Air Quality Investment Program. The proposal outlines a 10-year investment platform aligned with Thailand's PM2.5 Action Plan and forthcoming Clean Air Act, designed to bring together multiple sectors under a single framework.

Priority areas include:

• Transport electrification
• Crop residue management
• Renewable energy expansion
• Industrial emission standards
• Sustainable urban development
• Port and freight emissions
• Cross-border haze cooperation

Rather than a single project, the concept is to bundle reforms, technical assistance, and investment into a coordinated platform capable of mobilising finance at scale.

ADB referenced previous programs in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei and Ulaanbaatar, where coordinated policy and investment efforts reportedly reduced PM2.5 concentrations by around 40% or more over several years.

Coordinated action across sectors, including fuel switching, clean heating, and industrial upgrading, has helped reduce PM2.5 levels in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region by around 40 per cent compared to 2015.

In Ulaanbaatar, reforms including fuel standards, household energy standards and enforcement measures helped reduce PM2.5 concentrations by nearly half over just two winters.

At the city level, Bangkok also highlighted the need for sustained partnerships.

"Air pollution is a complex challenge that no single city can solve alone. Sustainable air quality improvement requires long-term investment and strong international collaboration." — Pornthep Techapaiboon, Advisor to the Governor on Sustainability, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

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Strategic Takeaways for CCAC Partners

• Integrated approaches are becoming the norm. Air quality interventions are increasingly embedded within broader development programs.
• Governance models must match pollution dynamics. Airshed approaches highlight the need for coordination beyond city or national boundaries.
• Prevention is key to wildfire and burning management. Long-term planning and incentives are more effective than reactive suppression.
• Economic incentives matter. Market mechanisms and supply-chain pressure may accelerate changes in agricultural burning practices.
• Regional cooperation is becoming unavoidable. Transboundary haze, wildfire smoke, and pollution transport across airsheds mean countries must increasingly coordinate policies, monitoring systems, and mitigation strategies.

From BAQ Pre-Event (10 March 2026)

On 10 March, BAQ pre-event convened experts from more than 10 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America to explore how South–South collaboration can accelerate clean air action.

Three main themes emerged: monitoring, management, and markets.

Key insights included:

• Expanding monitoring networks (regulatory monitors combined with low-cost sensors) is rapidly increasing data coverage. India's National Clean Air Programme was highlighted as a major example of scaling national monitoring capacity.
• Transparent data governance can drive accountability. In the Philippines, community monitoring contributed to the shutdown of a highly polluting waste-to-energy facility.
• Market mechanisms can help unlock investment in clean air. Examples included emissions trading in Surat, India, and pollution taxation approaches involving businesses in Lagos, Nigeria.
• Economic growth and clean air are not mutually exclusive. Several country examples demonstrated that development strategies can be aligned with air quality improvements.

Participants emphasised strong demand for South–South technical exchange, particularly to address capacity gaps in monitoring systems, policy design, and implementation.

Next steps announced:

• Follow-up dialogue at the Africa Clean Air Forum (July 2026)
• Development of a South–South collaboration framework
• Creation of a catalogue of clean air success stories across Asia, Africa, and Latin America

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