Better Air Quality Conference 2026: Daily Update – 12 March 2026

Discussions at the Better Air Quality Conference 2026 continued today with a strong focus on how countries can accelerate implementation of clean air solutions by integrating super pollutant mitigation, strengthening technical capacity, and scaling practical sectoral interventions.

Across sessions, speakers emphasised that the next phase of air quality action will depend on stronger alignment between air pollution, climate mitigation, health policy, and development planning. For many countries in Asia, these agendas remain fragmented despite sharing the same sources and solutions.

The discussions reinforced a growing consensus: integrated approaches deliver the greatest benefits for health, climate, and economies.

Integrating air pollution, climate, and health action

A major theme of the day was the need to place public health at the centre of air pollution and climate strategies.

Speakers stressed that the climate crisis is also a health crisis, and that air pollution remains one of the most visible and immediate manifestations of this connection. Addressing both challenges together can generate powerful co-benefits for health, economic development, and climate resilience.

The World Health Organisation highlighted that there is no safe level of exposure to air pollution, reinforcing the need for stronger policy ambition. Integrated action to reduce air pollution and short-lived climate pollutants can significantly reduce morbidity and premature deaths while supporting climate mitigation goals.

Several discussions emphasised that policies should prioritise the most vulnerable populations, including children, older adults, and communities exposed to multiple environmental risks. Children are particularly vulnerable because their organs are still developing and they experience higher exposure relative to body weight.

Participants also noted that health evidence must play a stronger role in guiding policy decisions. Tools already exist to quantify the health and economic impacts of air pollution policies, including WHO methodologies and modelling tools such as AirQ+, which can help policymakers understand the full benefits of clean air interventions.

Urban planning was highlighted as another important opportunity. Clean air policies can also support broader well-being goals through increased green and blue spaces, physical activity, and mental health improvements. Examples such as Beijing’s “15-minute green space access” vision illustrate how clean air strategies can align with wider urban development objectives.

Advancing science to support integrated policy

Strengthening the evidence base for integrated air pollution and climate action was another key discussion point.

Researchers highlighted that air pollution and climate change are deeply interconnected through shared sources such as combustion in transport, industry, residential energy use, and agriculture. These links mean that mitigation measures often produce simultaneous benefits for both climate and air quality.

At the same time, climate change can worsen air pollution through cascading impacts such as heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires, which increase exposure to particulate matter and black carbon.

Scientific research is increasingly helping policymakers understand these relationships. 

In China, for example, air quality policies have already reduced premature deaths attributable to PM2.5 from an estimated 2.66 million in 2013 to about 1.08 million in 2024. However, rising tropospheric ozone pollution has emerged as a new challenge, highlighting the need for integrated pollutant management strategies.

Several speakers stressed the importance of aligning national air quality standards more closely with WHO guidelines, noting that stronger standards can reveal hidden health burdens and drive further policy improvements.

Participants also called for stronger use of health evidence in policymaking, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where data gaps remain for many health outcomes beyond respiratory disease, including cardiovascular and reproductive impacts.

Integrating super pollutant mitigation into air quality strategies

The role of super pollutants, including black carbon, methane, and tropospheric ozone precursors, featured prominently in discussions on integrated action.

Because super pollutants share sources with traditional air pollutants, reducing them can deliver rapid benefits for both climate mitigation and public health.

In regions such as the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayan foothills, these pollutants are also linked to broader environmental challenges, including glacier melt, agricultural losses, and shifts in monsoon patterns.

Speakers emphasised that addressing these issues requires stronger integration of super pollutants mitigation into national air quality strategies through:

• Shared emissions inventories and monitoring systems
• Coordinated policy frameworks across sectors
• Stronger regional cooperation in transboundary airsheds
• Integration of SLCPs into national climate commitments and development planning

Several countries are beginning to explore these approaches. 

Bhutan and Nepal highlighted efforts to integrate super pollutants mitigation into national planning frameworks and climate strategies while strengthening monitoring systems and emissions inventories.

Researchers also pointed to opportunities to incorporate black carbon and related pollutants more explicitly into national climate commitments, including nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

Scaling implementation across sectors

Another major focus of the day was the need to translate policy ambition into practical action across key sectors.

Transport, residential energy, agriculture, industry, and waste management remain the largest contributors to air pollution across much of Asia. Addressing emissions in these sectors requires coordinated policies, investments, and governance structures.

Examples shared during the conference included policies to accelerate vehicle electrification, strengthen vehicle emission standards, and expand clean cooking technologies.

Subnational initiatives also demonstrated the potential of integrated approaches. Large-scale programmes combining monitoring systems, transport electrification, waste management interventions, and household energy policies are emerging as promising models for coordinated implementation.

Speakers stressed that effective implementation depends on strong institutional coordination across ministries, as well as robust monitoring systems and clear policy targets.

Mobilizing finance for integrated solutions

Financing remains a critical enabler of clean air action.

Development partners discussed a range of mechanisms that can support integrated climate and air quality strategies, including blended finance, policy-based lending, financial intermediary lending, carbon market mechanisms, and green bonds.

Participants highlighted that demonstrating the health and economic benefits of air pollution reduction can help attract new investment and strengthen the case for integrated funding across sectors.

Several institutions are now developing new approaches to integrate health considerations into climate and pollution financing frameworks, recognizing that investments in clean energy, transport, waste management, and sustainable agriculture can deliver significant public health benefits.

Turning knowledge into implementation tools

The day also highlighted the growing role of practical implementation tools designed to support governments and practitioners.

Platforms such as the Air Quality Management Exchange (AQMX) are increasingly being used to provide guidance on monitoring systems, emissions inventories, sectoral mitigation strategies, and public engagement.

Participants stressed the importance of strengthening technical capacity alongside financial support, including training, modelling tools, and improved access to scientific evidence.

Greater collaboration between the environment and health communities was also highlighted as a priority, particularly through shared data systems, common indicators, and coordinated policy planning.

The science linking these challenges is increasingly clear, and practical solutions, from clean energy transitions to sustainable transport and waste management, are already available.

For countries across Asia and the Pacific, the key challenge now is scaling these solutions through stronger governance, coordinated policy frameworks, sustainable financing, and regional collaboration.

As participants noted throughout the day, the stakes for public health, climate stability, and sustainable development have never been higher but the tools to act are already within reach.