Republic of Korea and CCAC bring climate and clean air communities together at Seoul forum

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) jointly hosted the 6th International Forum on Transboundary Air Pollution in Seoul on 8 September, bringing together government representatives, international organisations, development institutions, researchers and clean-air practitioners. Read more on Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Held as part of celebrations around the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, the Forum built on Korea’s long-standing international leadership on clean air. Korea led the establishment of the International Day through a UN General Assembly resolution adopted in 2019.

The forum focused on two questions: how to make the economic case for integrated climate and clean-air action, and how stronger regional and global cooperation can accelerate implementation.

Opening the Forum, Jongho Kyun, Ambassador and Deputy Minister for Climate Change at the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the progress made since the International Day was established and the continuing need for international cooperation to improve air quality. Lottie Cantle, Special Advisor, Office of the Chief Scientific Advisor at UK DESNZ, representing the UK in its role as CCAC Co-Chair, also delivered opening remarks, while Noer Adi Wardojo, Acting Deputy Minister for Environmental Pollution and Degradation Control of Indonesia, also spoke to the importance of integrated clean air and climate action.

The economic case for acting together

The first session focused on the economic case for addressing climate change and air pollution together.

The CCAC Secretariat presented key findings from its newly released global assessment, Hidden assets: The economic and health case for climate and clean air action. Published by UNEP and CCAC on 7 September, the assessment finds that every US$1 invested in integrated climate and clean-air action can generate around US$15 in economic benefits. It assesses 25 proven measures across energy, industry, transport, agriculture, cooking and waste.

The assessment also finds that many of the biggest barriers to faster action are not technological: stronger institutions, coordination, policy and finance can bring implementation forward significantly and unlock benefits more quickly.

The session brought this economic evidence together with practical perspectives from the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on data and digital technology, the Asian Development Bank’s Korea Climate Technology Hub on investment in technology solutions, and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) on overcoming implementation barriers.

From evidence to practical clean-air action

A second session turned to regional and global cooperation and the tools countries and cities can use to improve air quality.

CCAC presented the Air Quality Management Exchange Platform (AQMx), including its newly completed step-by-step guidance for air-quality managers. AQMx brings together trusted tools, data and practical guidance to help governments move from establishing the basic foundations for air-quality management through to sustained implementation.

The discussion also brought together Clean Air Asia, CityNet, the World Health Organization Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Speakers shared experience on regional cooperation, city action, health, development cooperation and practical approaches for improving air quality across Asia and the Pacific.

Participants emphasised the value of addressing climate change and air pollution together rather than through separate policy tracks, and the importance of using sound science and data to design effective policy. Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs similarly highlighted the potential for stronger international and regional cooperation to turn this evidence into practical action.

Building on Korea’s clean-air leadership

The Forum builds on Korea’s role in putting clean air on the international agenda and on its wider regional cooperation on air pollution.

It also provided an opportunity to connect that clean-air leadership more directly with the growing international focus on the pollutants and sectors that drive both near-term warming and poor air quality.

As countries look to accelerate action on both climate change and air pollution, closer cooperation between the climate and clean-air communities can help turn growing economic and scientific evidence into policy and practical action. The Forum in Seoul showed how bringing these communities together can support faster progress across the region and beyond.

READ MORE

Read more on Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website
Ministry of Foreign Affairs story

Hidden assets: The economic and health case for climate and clean air action
Hidden assets report

Air Quality Management Exchange Platform (AQMx)
AQMx website