Air pollutants and GHG emissions have common sources, interacting effects and overlapping solutions. The co-benefits approach that aims to address air pollution and climate change in a combined fashion is increasingly being studied and promoted internationally. The China Ministry for Environmental Protection (MEP) has integrated “co-control” of the two issues in its policies and preparation of the 12th Five-Year-Plan. It is necessary to supplement the top-down approach of working with national government and organizations with a bottom-up approach of raising awareness and building capacity of cities and locally operating organizations on climate change mitigation by linking it to air quality management.

At the city level in China, the following is observed:

• A continued demand exists for assistance in cities with addressing air pollution (and other development issues like energy security, costs and traffic congestion), while the focus and funds of donors and development agencies are drawn to climate change.
• When the global climate change negotiations and national policies and targets trickle down to the cities, there will be a tremendous capacity gap to deal with climate change.
• Cities have little experience or knowledge on how to integrate climate change into their air quality plans or on how to link their air quality measures to climate change mitigation.

The project aims to support the development of integrated plans and policies for air quality management and GHG emission reduction at the city level using the co-benefits approach.

Activities that were completed in 2010 are (the Final Report of activities in 2010 is available here):

• 5th AQM City of CAI-Asia China City Network which focused on the overall understanding of co-benefits approach and explained its application to different sectors. The draft workshop 1 report is provided here.
  More information on the Workshop 1 is available here.
• Case studies in two selected cities (Hangzhou and Jinan) which piloted the application of the co-benefits approach to plans, policies and measures, using the Clean Air Scorecard and included city visits. The draft Case Study Report is provided here.
• 6th AQM City of CAI-Asia China City Network which reported on the results of the application of the co-benefits approach to 2 pilot cities. The draft workshop 2 report is provided here.
  More information on the Workshop 2 is available here.

Activities that are implemented during 2011 are:

• 7th AQM Workshop of CAI-Asia China City Network on the development of Clean Air Action Plans and Clean Air City Reports.The draft workshop 1 report is provided here.
  More information on the Workshop 2 is available here.
• Work with Hangzhou and Jinan on improving their Clean Air Action Plans and developing their City Clean Air Reports based on the assessment results of the Clean Air Management Assessment Tool on the development of Clean Air Action Plans and Clean Air City Reports.
• 8th AQM Workshop of CAI-Asia China City Network on experiences with the development of Clean Air Action Plans and Clean Air City Reports and a way forward

Donor: China Sustainable Energy Program (Energy Foundation)

Duration:
Phase 1: June - December 2010
Phase 2: June - December 2011

Partners: CAI-Asia China City Network, ClimateWorks and China Sustainable Energy Program (Energy Foundation), Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP)

CAI-Asia contacts:
Yan Peng, yan.peng(at)cai-asia.org
May Ajero, may.ajero(at)cai-asia.org