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[av_heading heading=’Iloilo City pilot site for clean air certification’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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ILOILO City is one of the five pilot sites for the Clean Air Asia (CAA) Certification initiative launched last month at the 9th CAA Better Air Quality Conference and 17th International Union of Air Pollution Prevention Association (IUAPPA) World Clean Air Congress in Busan, South Korea.
“This recognizes our conservation efforts in maintaining air quality in the metropolis. This is a manifestation of our growing reputation as ecologically-friendly, healthy and a livable city,” said Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.
The certification is an innovative voluntary draft standard that recognizes actions that cities take to address air quality.
“There are three levels. The bronze level, which will be piloted in five cities before being opened to wider participation – Baguio, Iloilo and Santa Rosa in the Philippines, Malang in Indonesia, and Kathmandu in Nepal – is targeted at the capacity building level,” Clean Air Asia said in a statement.
Cities will be assessed based on the level of effort they make relative to their resources.
Improving air quality translates into healthy citizenry. It also helps cities save money and use resources more effectively, said CAA.
“In addition to improvements in air quality, there were economic incentives for cities involved in the initiative, with certification reaping huge rewards,” said Jamie Leather, senior transport specialist of Asian Development Bank.
“Cities involved in this certification will certainly be able to demonstrate their commitment to anyone who wants to invest in those cities,” she added.
This has also a sound economic rationale, helping investors to link air quality with profitability measures and disclosure requirements, and enabling them to use certification status as a decision-making factor in selecting suppliers and locating new facilities.
Cities will be recognized for taking actions in four areas:
(1) identifying core personnel to take actions forward;
(2) understanding the sources of air pollution;
(3) assessing air quality and impacts; and
(4) addressing air pollution.
Three areas will need to be demonstrated:
(1) the impact of control measures undertaken;
(2) that the impacts of air pollution are considered in economic and development decisions; and
(3) that new stakeholders are engaging in supporting solutions.
“Clean Air Certification is a way to build momentum to meet clean air targets through widespread and international recognition of innovative and impactful city action,” said Cities Clean Air Partnership Program Director Katharine Thoday.
“The focus is on actions cities can take to address air quality, not on absolute air quality levels,” she added.
Cities will be required to submit agreed upon evidence against actions at fixed intervals. Evidence will be reviewed administratively by CAA.
When more specific technical experience is needed, the evidence will be reviewed by relevant Working Group members. Achievement of the standard required will result in certification. If it is not met, feedback will be provided.
The draft standard had been developed with input from a representative group of stakeholders, including city networks, air quality management specialists, pollution researchers and practitioners, and economic and development experts, said CAA Deputy Executive Director Glynda Bathan-Baterina.
Certification is in line with International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labeling (ISEAL) Alliance’s Code of Good Practice for Setting Social and Environmental Standards, and a number of Working Groups – Air Quality Governance and Assessment, Measuring the Impact of Control Measures, and Urban Development – have been established to inform the continued development of criteria, she added.
The scheme is supported by a Knowledge Platform that will highlight the actions taken by cities and stakeholders.
“Cities will upload evidence based around common indicators allowing for easy sharing of information. Other city stakeholders will be able to find information relevant to them and highlight the actions they are taking to support city targets,” Bathan-Baterina said.
“Clean air in cities is a competitive factor because if we go into cities that do not have clean air, we have to invest a lot of money. Having a certification scheme that is sustainable for investments in clean air is a key competitive advantage for cities,” said Mathias Miedreich, President Asia, Faurecia Emission Control Technologies.
CAA’s Cities Clean Air Partnership provides concrete support to move cities progressively towards cleaner air. It is supported by International Environmental Partnership, an environmental collaboration program established by Environmental Protection Administration Taiwan and United States Environmental Protection Agency aimed at assisting agencies and organizations around the globe to strengthen their capacity to manage the environment and protect human health. (Iloilo City PIO/PN)
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