# We asked clean air leaders across Asia what they need to cut air pollution in 2026 and beyond — Here's what we heard *Published:* 2026-04-10 *Author:* Tammy Thompson ![EDF’s Senior Policy Director, Global Clean Air Sergio Sánchez and Senior Air Quality Scientist Tammy Thompson, met with leaders working on air pollution across Asia at the Better Air Quality Conference in Bangkok, Thailand from March 11-13, 2026.](https://blogs.edf.org/global-clean-air/wp-content/blogs.dir/134/files//WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-12-at-9.59.54-PM-1-1024x695.jpeg)EDF’s Senior Policy Director, Global Clean Air Sergio Sánchez and Senior Air Quality Scientist Tammy Thompson, met with leaders working on air pollution across Asia at the Better Air Quality Conference in Bangkok, Thailand from March 11-13, 2026.![](https://blogs.edf.org/global-clean-air/wp-content/blogs.dir/134/files//WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-11-at-5.28.44-AM-2-1024x768.jpeg)![](https://blogs.edf.org/global-clean-air/wp-content/blogs.dir/134/files//WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-13-at-12.28.20-AM-2-1024x719.jpeg)![](https://blogs.edf.org/global-clean-air/wp-content/blogs.dir/134/files//WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-10-at-7.34.54-PM-1-1024x682.jpeg)![](https://blogs.edf.org/global-clean-air/wp-content/blogs.dir/134/files//WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-12-at-10.02.22-PM-768x1024.jpeg)![](https://blogs.edf.org/global-clean-air/wp-content/blogs.dir/134/files//WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-10-at-6.35.48-PM-1024x812.jpeg)**What’s new:** At the Better Air Quality Conference (BAQ) hosted by Clean Air Asia in Bangkok, Thailand last month, we connected with dozens of clean air leaders working across Asia. They emphasized that moving from analysis to action to cut air pollution requires more than just the right inputs like data, policy plans, institutional capacity and sustainable funding, although those are also all vital. For these leaders, the key to success that we heard repeatedly was coordination: the ability to bring all these elements together within complex urban systems. **Why it matters:** Asia, home to most of the world’s population and some of its largest and fastest growing cities, is also the continent that bears the greatest burden of global air pollution. Across the region, exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and other pollutants remains far above global health-based guidelines, contributing to millions of premature deaths and widespread chronic disease every year. These health impacts translate into significant economic losses due to increased healthcare costs and lower labor productivity and competitiveness. Asian cities also face unique vulnerabilities to the health harms of climate change, driven by many of the same sources causing air pollution. All these factors make achieving cleaner air in Asia critical to both the region’s health and economic vitality and to global progress on air pollution. The region is well positioned to demonstrate the value of integrating air quality strategies to achieve both health and climate goals. Indeed, governments at all levels have already innovated in impressive ways to do just that. This is why we wanted to hear directly from Asia’s clean air leaders, to better understand what supports they need to grow and scale the impressive progress they’ve already made. We came away with four core insights. **1) We need to better integrate air quality, health and climate goals** Stakeholders across Asia emphasized how they are increasingly approaching air pollution as a cross-cutting issue, with impacts on urban planning, transportation, energy transitions, public health, agricultural policy and human rights. They emphasized that forward progress requires aligning institutional mandates and planning processes and building accountability mechanisms across sectors. Many we spoke to pointed to super pollutants like methane, black carbon and ground-level ozone as a “golden opportunity” to help the climate-air quality link “click” for people. When leaders can clearly show how cutting air pollution moves the needle on health and climate, it becomes easier to build and sustain support for action. **2) Air quality data has greatly improved — more help is needed to turn it into action** The global clean air community has made great strides in recent years to expand air pollution monitoring and shrink data gaps. This progress is reflected in a shifting focus toward not only collecting but also translating data into targeted policy action. Still, significant gaps remain, not only in data availability, but in its effective use. Technical experts and decision-makers are increasingly seeking practical, scalable ways to turn existing data into actionable insights. This includes deploying analytical platforms, strengthening links between local efforts and national and subnational air quality goals and building institutional capacity to support implementation, enforcement and accountability. ![](https://blogs.edf.org/global-clean-air/wp-content/blogs.dir/134/files//peeing-non-peeing-side-analogy-screengrab.jpg)At the Better Air Quality Conference (BAQ 2026), Nathan Borgford-Parnell, Scientific Affairs Lead at Climate and Clean Air Coalition, captured an unsettling truth: “There is no peeing and non-peeing side of the pool — everything mixes.” Air pollution is the same: the air we breathe is shared across political boundaries and even oceans, and air pollution is only solvable through coordinated action.**3) Cities need stable, scalable funding to support long-term air quality goals** We heard that scarce funding remains a leading challenge to getting clean air solutions in place. As the Clean Air Fund has pointed out, global financing to improve air quality [has fallen in recent years](https://www.cleanairfund.org/resource/air-quality-funding-2025/) from an already inadequate level. It’s not surprising that stakeholders are increasingly focused on locally-sourced funding schemes that align with climate and health priorities. Although clean air action delivers near-term health and climate benefits, sustained funding is critical to ensuring those benefits stay in place long-term. Cities across the region are showing growing interest in developing localized funding approaches, with some emerging innovative examples like Singapore’s Electronic Road Pricing. Though progress remains uneven and limited, efforts in many still rely significantly on international, bilateral and multilateral funding. **4) Collaboration across diverse stakeholders and geographies is still key** Nathan Borgford-Parnell, Scientific Affairs Lead at Climate and Clean Air Coalition, memorably captured a key reason why better collaboration is needed to improve air quality when he compared pollution to water in a swimming pool, stating in a talk that “there is no peeing and non-peeing side of the pool — everything mixes.” Air is a common resource that must be stewarded in common. There is a clear understanding across Asia that the air pollution often originates beyond the boundaries of government control. Wind and weather shifts can move it in from neighboring cities or even rural areas, as with wildfire smoke. We heard a clear call for stronger collaboration across the local, national and international levels to deal with these realities. Stakeholders also highlighted the need to better leverage the complementary roles of each sectors to achieve durable and scalable air pollution reductions. **We’re putting what we heard into action:** The top gaps identified by clean air leaders in Asia echo what we’ve heard from partners in other regions, such as those captured in [our recent report on rising pollution in Brazil’s Amazon region](https://www.edf.org/breathing-life-amazonian-cities-transformative-investment-case-clean-air-health-equity-and-economic) and in our ongoing partnership to support Brazil in implementing its new air quality law and national air quality standards. We’re doing our part to bridge the gap from data to action in several ways, starting with Air Insights, a suite of tools developed by EDF to help public sector decision-makers, technical institutions and city leaders translate complex datasets into customized, actionable clean air policy recommendations. Complementing our public-facing air quality data tools such as [Air Tracker](https://www.edf.org/air-tracker-mapping-local-air-pollution), Air Insights is built for urban environments, specifically designed to integrate into any municipality’s air quality data management system. Cities are at the forefront of air quality action, and they have been clear about what they need: tailored decision-support tools, practical monitoring and data guidance, and solutions aligned with local priorities. Through initiatives like Air Insights, we aim to work with public sector decision-makers, technical institutions and city level partners to help them move from data to action, to integrate that action with climate and health goals, to tap into sustainable funding and to collaborate creatively across regions and sectors. **Your city can beta test Air Insights:** We previewed Air Insights at the BAQ conference with a select group of cities. We are now selecting 25 partner cities to be early adopters, integrating Air Insights’ capabilities into their air quality management systems. These selected cities will join a cohort of partners at the forefront of translating air quality data into action, benefitting from early access, tailored technical support and a direct role in shaping a set of tools designed to support more effective policy, planning and investment decisions. *To learn more and get in touch with us, check out our* [*Air Insights overview here.*](https://edforg.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/GlobalCleanAir-MarketingandCommunications/IQB5p6oKSbotRqM7zGkCicVcAdD0DWInTsqn6bYoYynRK6A?e=6kdaMs)