New air quality management platform to support global clean air action
Ahead of this year’s International Day of Clean Air and blue skies, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) has developed and launched an Air Quality Management Exchange Platform (AQMx) designed to help air quality professionals everywhere tackle air pollution. The platform is a one-stop-shop that provides the latest air quality management guidance and tools proposed to meet WHO Air Quality Guidelines interim targets.
Air pollution knows no borders, and with 99 percent of the global population breathing polluted air, the fight against it involves everyone. This silent and invisible killer is causing more than 8 million premature deaths per year, and often hitting the most vulnerable people in our societies hardest. Due to significant data gaps, the true toll of air pollution around the world is still unknown. Capacity gaps hamper efforts to tackle air pollution – a global climate and health crisis that requires urgent action.
The platform was developed in response to a resolution passed at this year’s United Nations Environment Assembly, where countries called for increased global cooperation to tackle air pollution by sharing best practices, tools, data, and information. Working directly with air quality managers, AQMx will help to address air quality management capacity gaps, notably with curated guidance across key themes, including on how to go about air quality monitoring, inventory development, and health impact assessments. This will allow decision makers to see a more complete picture of air pollution’s impact and leading to policies that accurately reflect public health needs on a global scale. For example, over a third of the population in Africa is unable to access air quality information.
“Access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a human right, not a luxury for those who can afford it. Tackling air pollution requires cooperation across administrative boundaries, across countries and across key sectors to implement tried and tested measures that cut pollution. With AQMx, we intend to close a capacity gap to create cleaner communities for us all,” said Martina Otto, CCAC’s Head of Secretariat, at the platform launch.
“Air pollution is nothing less than a public health emergency, and AQMx is a positive step in making evidence available to meaningfully tackle polluted air and meet WHO’s Air Quality Guidelines to protect people’s health around the world,” said Maria Neira, WHO’s Director of Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health.
“One common platform for air quality guidance, bringing together partners from governments, UN agencies, regional organizations, and civil society, has the potential to unlock health benefits for millions of people around the world,” said Jane Burston, the Clean Air Fund’s Chief Executive Officer and founder. “With less than 1 percent of international development funding currently spent on clean air initiatives, we hope AQMx helps to make the case for urgent investment into initiatives that tackle harmful air pollution.”
The platform will expand to allow regional and sub-regional communities to exchange knowledge about air quality management best practices.
Everyone has a role to play in the fight against air pollution, from national and regional governments, international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector. The launch of AQMx represents a unified approach in creating strong communities of practice that will fight for cleaner air for generations to come, to benefit people and the planet.
