World Environment Day 2019: Panel Discussion on Beating Air Pollution, Making Asia’s Cities Livable

World Environment Day is an annual event organized by UN Environment on 5 June and celebrated by ADB's Environment Thematic Group. This year's theme, 'Beat Air Pollution", is aligned with the operational priorities of ADB’s Strategy 2030 including those aimed at making cities more livable and providing better health for all. In order to address air pollution integrated approaches from the urban, transport, energy and health sectors are needed.

Air Pollution in Asian Cities

In this presentation, Glynda Bathan, Deputy Executive Director of Clean Air Asia discussed the state of air pollution in Asian cities, honing on air quality figures for Metro Manila. She cited air pollution as the fifth leading global risk factor for premature deaths, highlighting the health impacts of air pollution, and the need for urgent collective action.​

World Environment Day 2019: Opening Session – The Air That We Breathe

World Environment Day is an annual event organized by UN Environment on 5 June and celebrated by ADB's Environment Thematic Group. This year's theme, "Beat Air Pollution", is aligned with the operational priorities of ADB’s Strategy 2030 including those aimed at making cities more livable and providing better health for all. In order to address air pollution integrated approaches from the urban, transport, energy and health sectors are needed.

Reducing Air Pollution and Promoting Health through Sustainable Transport

The World Health Organization’s work on air pollution, sustainable transport, and health rests on these five pillars: (i) improve evidence on health risks; (ii) strengthen health system monitoring, reporting, and assessment capacity; (iii) optimize health co-benefits from sustainable transport; (iv) global policy leadership; and (v) outreach and advocacy.

Glynda Bathan

Glynda Bathan is Deputy Executive Director of Clean Air Asia. She is a lawyer with over 16 years’ experience in air quality management. She was a member of the legal team assisting the Philippine Government in drafting the Clean Air Act of 1999 Implementing Rules and Regulations. She led the implementation of the Asia Clean Fuels and Vehicles program which resulted in national policies and roadmaps for cleaner fuels and vehicles.

June Ng Thompson

Thompson is the Communications Manager for FSC’s Asia Pacific regional office. She started her career as a reporter with a special interest in environmental and developmental news. FSC works to promote responsible forest management around the world. Operating in more than 100 markets, FSC is the preferred certification scheme for businesses, including Fortune 500 companies. Prior to joining FSC, she worked for WWF-Hong Kong, overseeing content management, branding and corporate partnership.

Lote Lima

Lima is the member services manager at the Samoa Chamber of Commerce. She has worked at the organization for four years. Lima graduated from the Auckland University of Technology in Auckland, New Zealand with a Bachelor in Social Sciences and Human Resource Management in 2011 and has been working in Samoa since then. As the Member Services Manager, she works extensively with the Samoa Chamber of Commerce membership (over 350 businesses) and with donor partners and stakeholders.

Sherin Lin

Lin oversees Academy and Life Care business of TUV Rheinland Group in Greater PRC region. She set up the Competence Centre of CSR & Sustainability. She has dedicated herself actively together with the team and achieved some highlights including development of capacity building program “FIT FIVE®” in 2005 with recognition of Best Practice by Global Compact for supply chain solution; consultancy of probably the first management system based on ISO26000 in PRC; consultancy to Carbon Pioneer in PV industry to win WWF Climate Saver award.