Clean Air Asia

In line with this year’s Earth Day theme “Our Power, Our Planet”, Clean Air Asia, together with the International Rice Research Institute and the Climate Clean Air Coalition, convened different Philippine government agencies on April 21 to advance a national strategy for reducing short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) from the country’s rice sub-sector.

The consultation focused on the Tier 2 emissions inventory — and essential evidence-base for shaping the Philippines’ rice mitigation strategy which includes methodology, preliminary results for the bussines-as-usual scenario, and national targets for the mitigation scenarios.

Representatives from this consultation highlighted the importance for strong stakeholder alignment around the input data and clear definitions of mitigation strategies to ensure accurate emissions accounting and effective climate action.

Today is Earth Day, and this year’s theme “Our Power, Our Planet” is a reminder of our shared responsibility and collective power to protect air quality and the health of our planet.

Across Asia and the Pacific, billions of people are continuously exposed to unsafe air, posing serious health concerns and economic consequences. But progress is happening.

At the Better Air Quality conference (BAQ) 2026 last month, it was highlighted how accelerating action to address air quality challenges is possible when matched with sustained commitment and collective effort.

Here’s why air quality solutions must be scaled now.