Air Quality Toolkit Training for Development Finance Institutions 9 to 10 October 2025 Air pollution remains one of the most pressing environmental and public health challenges across Asia and the Pacific. Rapid urbanization, industrial growth, and increasing energy demand have led to worsening air quality, threatening human health, ecosystems, and economic productivity. Many cities in the region continue to exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines, underscoring the need for integrated, cross-sectoral solutions. Recognizing that clean air is essential to sustainable and inclusive development, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in collaboration with Ricardo, Clean Air Asia (CAA) and the Clean Air Fund (CAF), organized the Air Quality Toolkit Training in October 2025. The training introduced the Air Quality Toolkit for Development Finance Institutions (DFIs)—a comprehensive guide that enables project officers and practitioners to systematically integrate air quality considerations into project design, preparation, and appraisal. This initiative supports ADB’s Strategy 2030 objectives of fostering livable cities, enhancing climate resilience, and promoting environmentally sustainable growth. The Air Quality Toolkit Training aimed to build the capacity of ADB staff and development partners to effectively integrate air quality into the project cycle. It also sought to bridge technical and institutional gaps that often limit the inclusion of clean air objectives in development planning. Through a combination of lectures, case studies, and project clinic sessions, the training provided participants with practical tools and examples to help transform air quality considerations into measurable, project-level outcomes. Specifically, the training sought to: Enhance understanding of the linkages between air quality, climate change, and sustainable development. Strengthen capacity to identify, assess, and integrate air quality benefits within project design, preparation, and appraisal. Demonstrate practical application of the Air Quality Toolkit for DFIs through real-world case studies and project clinic sessions. Promote cross-sectoral collaboration to embed air quality objectives across key sectors such as transport, energy, industry, waste, and urban development. Encourage institutional adoption of air quality as a key consideration in development finance operations and decision-making. Program and Learning Materials 09 October 2025 10 October 2025 Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) Opening Remarks Opening Remarks - ADB The importance of clean air was highlighted for regional development, presenting the ADB Air Quality Toolkit as a guide for integrating air quality… Toru Kubo Opening Remarks Opening Remarks: The State of Global Air Quality Funding 2025 It was emphasized that funding for outdoor air quality remains extremely limited and unevenly distributed, urging funders to prioritize clean air,… Fu Lu Presentations Overview of Training Day 1 (Morning Session) An overview of the activities was presented for the first day of training, which included an introduction to the toolkit guide and activities related… Glynda Bathan-Baterina Presentations Introduction to the Toolkit and Air Quality This session explores the content of the Air Quality Toolkit, examining how the Toolkit was developed, why it is useful, and how its structure… Charlotte Day Presentations Air Quality Improvement Solutions This session includes a discussion of key information on air pollution and strategies for air quality improvement, providing participants with a… Charlotte Day Presentations Quantifying Air Quality Changes The activity focuses on quantifying changes in air pollution and assessing the benefits that result from these improvements. Everlyn Gayle Tamayo-Araneta Presentations Introduction to the Afternoon Session An overview of the activities was presented for the first day of training, which included an introduction to the toolkit guide and activities related… Glynda Bathan-Baterina Presentations Project Life Cycle Step 1: Identification This session highlights the importance of integrating air quality objectives early in the project life cycle. Charlotte Day Presentations Project Life Cycle Step 2 and 3: Preparation and Appraisal – Part 1 The activity focuses on integrating air quality considerations into project design by evaluating baseline conditions, identifying pollution sources,… Everlyn Gayle Tamayo-Araneta Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) Presentations Overview of Training Day 2 An overview of the activities was presented for the second day of training, which covered project impacts, stakeholder mapping, and MER framework… Glynda Bathan-Baterina Presentations Project Life Cycle Step 2 and 3: Preparation and Appraisal – Part 2 The presentation gives an overview on how to formally integrate air quality measures into project design using the Air Quality Toolkit’s results… Everlyn Gayle Tamayo-Araneta Presentations Project Life Cycle Step 2 and 3: Preparation and Appraisal – Part 3 The session focused on integrating air quality into the appraisal stage, with emphasis on the inclusion of air quality benefits in project… Charlotte Day, Dang Espita-Casanova Presentations ADB Context - Cross-Sector Collaboration for Clean Air It was highlighted that the Toolkit is a comprehensive guide that supports cross-sector collaboration and encourages building strong… Rafayil Abbasov Presentations ADB Context - Transport Solutions for Air Quality The value of joint training for ADB staff and DMC counterparts was emphasized, and noted that the Toolkit provides a clear, structured approach for… Rebecca Stapleton Presentations ADB Context - Private Sector Approaches to Air Quality It explains that although private sector projects face unique constraints, the Toolkit’s indicators can help integrate air quality into investment… Sumika Nakane Presentations Overview of Project Clinics The final session of the training is a clinic where participants will apply lessons from previous sessions to pre-selected ADB sectoral projects,… Glynda Bathan-Baterina , Karma Yangzom Presentations Guided Activity for Project Clinics A set of interactive activities was facilitated, focusing on the application of the training on project identification, preparation, and appraisal. Ahn Meg Adonis, Everlyn Gayle Tamayo-Araneta Presentations Closing Remarks - Karma Yangzom The training ended by thanking participants and partners, emphasizing the Toolkit’s role in integrating air quality into development projects,… Karma Yangzom Disclaimer The views expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Event Coordinator/s Karma Yangzom Katrina Jayme Related Full Agenda ADB Organizer/s Climate Change, Resilience, and Environment Cluster Partner Organization/s Clean Air Fund Ricardo Clean Air Asia Topics Environment