World Clean Air Congress, 12-16 September 2010, Vancouver
This first issue highlights why attendance at the 15th World Clean Air Congress should not be missed and brings together some key congress issues:
- After Copenhagen: Picking up the Pieces - Following the failure to deliver any significant progress what can be done to reduce air pollutants?
- Food Security - Damage to crops from air pollutants will reduce crop yields
- Global Imbalance in Air Pollution Problems and Abatement Capacity - Skills and resources for addressing air pollution remain concentrated where the problems are least; improving the balance should be a continuing priority.
- Diffusion of Technology - How do we increase the speed of technological change?
- Cost Effectiveness and Value for Money - Should we continue to focus on pollution ‘hotspots’ or are there wider policy issues?
- Bio-Diversity - Air Quality is a major determinant of biodiversity and in this Year for Bio-Diversity we need to play our part.
For your copy of the World Congress Update, click here.
It has been difficult to make out whether or not we made progress at the Copenhagen climate talks in December 2009. The 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN FCCC, certainly failed to match the scale of the climate challenge. The scientific consensus was and is that significant cuts in emission of greenhouse gases are required and that the longer the world community put off a decision, the greater the risk of dangerous climate change in future. However, there was a mountain to climb: although some parties had well prepared positions, it became clear that there were too many with extreme political difficulties.
The outcome is a rather mixed bag of good intentions recorded in the Copenhagen Accord, including provisions for each party to the FCCC to give either clear commitments to the reduction of greenhouse gases or a clear statement of measures to be taken, provisions for a US$30 billion fund to finance measures in those countries least able to afford them and provisions for improved measures to prevent deforestation and forest degradation.
However, it appears that the agreement has failed its first test as the deadline for submission of targets and measures, 31 January 2010, has been postponed.
For a more comprehensive report please see the February edition of the IUAPPA Newsletter. Click here for your copy.
IUAPPA International Board Meeting
The IUAPPA International Board met in conjunction with the 2009 Tunis Regional Conference on Sunday 22 and Tuesday 24 November.
Board members heard from the IUAPPA President, Alan Gertler (AWMA), about the programme for the 2010 World Congress, which is to be held in Vancouver on 12 to 16 September. Visit www.iuappa2010.com for full details.
Progress reports were given on the Global Atmospheric Forum and on the Transport and Urban Air Quality Management Seminar series. Board members had a first sight of the new format for the website prior to its introduction and heard proposals for a possible new edition of the IUAPPA compendium of legislation and practice, Clean Air Around the World.
Encouraged by the Tunis Regional Conference, the Board agreed that Regional meetings were an excellent means of reaching out to new members and exploring topics that resonated on a regional level.
For further information please see the February edition of the IUAPPA Newsletter. Click here for your copy.
Better Air Quality in North Africa
November 2009 saw the IUAPPA Regional Conference on “Better Air Quality in North Africa”, organised by the Sahara and Sahel Observatory in Tunis. It was the first opportunity for IUAPPA and the Global Air Pollution Forum to meet with representatives from the North African countries to consider and discuss the issues raised by air pollution in the region and measures to deal with them.
Overall the participants, including delegations from all six North African Countries, many other parts of Africa and representatives from some eight international bodies, heard over 40 presentations during the three days of the Regional Conference. It was pleasing to see so many civil societies at the meeting, including the IUAPPA member organisation, Women for Sustainable Development.
For a full report see the February edition of the IUAPPA Newsletter. Click here for your copy.
