Global transboundary air pollution Task Force meets for first time

Air quality experts from across the world gathered in England this week to discuss solutions to the crisis  across international borders. 

A transboundary air pollution Task Force met in Bristol on Tuesday 11th October to discuss the need for collaborative approaches to improve air quality. 

Jointly organised by the group’s co-chair, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, the event is the first time the Task Force for the Forum for International Cooperation on Air Pollution – to use the official name – has met. The collective of experts acted as a steering committee to plan programming for inaugural global Forum event in Sweden next year. 

Overseen by the UNECE Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution, which was established in 1970 to tackle poor air quality and its impact on environment and public health, it’s no coincidence the Task Force has become active this year. In September, International Day of Clean Air 2022 came with a theme of collaboration emphasising that air pollution cannot be tackled with individual, disconnected policies and approaches, albeit different countries and regions will require solutions specific their situation.

‘If we are to continue achieving the emissions reductions we know are needed to protect our people’s health, our economies and our environments, we must find new and innovative solutions on a global scale,’ said UK Air Quality Minister, Trudy Harrison.

‘The United Kingdom is proud to co-chair this new forum for sharing science and policy expertise internationally, which will help more regions to take steps to tackle air pollution,’ she continued. ‘With hard work and determination, the Forum for International Cooperation on Air Pollution will be a beacon of global environmental leadership and innovation, and I look forward to seeing it go from success to success.’

Image: Nathan Riley