Governance and Policies

The document outlines a strategic approach to air quality management (AQM) specifically for Asian cities, emphasizing the integration of health-based guidelines, clean air implementation plans, and multi-stakeholder governance. It details various policy instruments—ranging from 'command and control' regulations to economic incentives and voluntary agreements—and provides specific strategies for reducing emissions from transport, industry, and area sources. Additionally, it explores the synergies between urban air quality improvements and climate change mitigation, particularly through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

• Air quality guidelines (AQGs) are health- or environment-based and serve as a basis for risk assessment, but they are not legally binding standards; national standards may differ based on technical feasibility and socio-economic conditions.
• Many Asian countries have adopted air quality standards that are more lenient than those published by the World Health Organization (WHO) or the European Union (EU).
• The 'command and control' regulatory approach is the most common method for AQM, but it is often rigid, expensive, and focuses on end-of-pipe solutions rather than pollution prevention.
• Economic instruments, such as emission charges and cap-and-trade systems, can be more cost-effective than direct regulation by internalizing negative environmental externalities.
• Effective transport sector AQM requires a combination of land-use planning, traffic management, cleaner fuel standards, and vehicle inspection and maintenance (I&M) programmes.
• Successful air quality management depends heavily on institutional capacity and the active participation of stakeholders, including government, the private sector, and civil society.
• There are significant co-benefits between urban air pollution control and climate change mitigation, as reducing certain air pollutants often simultaneously reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) allows industrialised countries to earn emission credits by investing in sustainable development projects in developing countries, though its current contribution to urban air pollution is limited.

APA

Haq, G., & Schwela, D. (2008). Governance and Policies. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Atmospheric/Cleanair/download/Module6-GOVERNANCE-AirQualityManagement.pdf

Chicago

Haq, Gary, and Dieter Schwela. Governance and Policies. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2008. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Atmospheric/Cleanair/download/Module6-GOVERNANCE-AirQualityManagement.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Haq |first1=Gary |last2=Schwela |first2=Dieter |title=Governance and Policies |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2008 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Atmospheric/Cleanair/download/Module6-GOVERNANCE-AirQualityManagement.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{haq2008governance, author = {Haq, Gary and Schwela, Dieter}, title = {{Governance and Policies}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2008}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Atmospheric/Cleanair/download/Module6-GOVERNANCE-AirQualityManagement.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }