Climate and Clean Air Conference 2023: Air Quality Action Week took place in Bangkok, Thailand at the United Nations Conference Centre from 29 May - 2 June 2023. Access the event report here.
Overview
Air pollution and climate change are two of the greatest challenges facing our planet today, and they are deeply interconnected. These two crises share common sources: dangerous air pollutants, like black carbon and methane, which are devastating for human health and for the planet. Air pollution is the greatest environmental threat to human health: it is responsible for about 7 million deaths each year globally, and this number is rising. In Asia and the Pacific region alone, 4 million people die prematurely from air pollution each year, while 4 billion people are exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution.
But air pollution does not just harm people. Short-lived climate pollutants, or SLCPs – are responsible for up to 45% of global warming today, contributing to rising sea levels and more frequent and extreme climatic events like droughts, fires, and storms. These pollutants are tens to thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the planet.
We cannot clean up our air without working to clean our planet, nor can we tackle climate change without simultaneously addressing air pollution.
Fortunately, there is good news: cutting SLCP emissions is regarded as the fastest and most effective way to keep us under 1.5°C. Acting on black carbon and methane in key sectors could reduce projected global warming by 0.5°C by 2050, avoid millions of premature deaths from air pollution annually, prevent millions of tonnes of annual crop losses, and increase energy efficiency, among other additional benefits for human and planetary wellbeing.
About the Climate and Clean Air Conference 2023: Air Quality Action Week
This year, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) are hosting the Climate and Clean Air Conference 2023: Air Quality Action Week which brings together experts and government representatives and decision-makers, intergovernmental bodies, donors, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond to identify new opportunities, develop capacities and facilitate cooperation and knowledge exchange to address air pollution and its adverse impacts on public health, development, environment, and climate.
The week-long event, in collaboration with numerous partners, will showcase a series of plenary and breakout sessions that highlight the latest insights, proven solutions, and new progress in addressing air pollution and its impact on climate change. The sessions will focus on promoting:
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Integrated planning and multi-stakeholder cooperation.
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Stories of success and priorities for clean air at cities, national and regional levels, including inter-governmental leadership.
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Scientific underpinnings and best practices to support policy, promote pollution-free economy and increase stakeholder awareness.
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Technological and industrial solutions for air quality management.
