Building on the momentum of the UN International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, the EPIC Air Quality Fund hosted the inaugural Clean Air Pledge event. The event brought together more than 300 stakeholders to mark the nearly 60 pledges made by international organizations, governments, private companies, philanthropies, NGOs and research organizations, including EPIC Air Quality Fund awardees.
The clean air commitments from throughout the world aim to tackle air pollution through policy, funding, data-sharing, technology, advocacy and more. The timing could not be more critical. Air pollution is one of the world’s greatest external risks to human health, cutting more years from life expectancy than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. Yet, it receives less than 0.1% of global philanthropy.
“The gap between the scale of the problem and the scale of the response has never been wider — or the opportunity to close it clearer,” says EPIC Clean Air Program Director Christa Hasenkopf. “This pledge session turned that urgency into public, concrete commitments. Let’s not lose this momentum. Let’s commit collectively to build the policy, data and funding environment required to achieve clean air worldwide.”
The commitments made range from maintaining real-time air monitoring networks and expanding technical infrastructure to identifying pollution sources, holding polluters accountable, raising public awareness, and collectively advocating for stronger policy solutions. As examples:
- From Asia, the Thailand Pollution Control Department committed to implementing tighter emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks and buses.
- From Africa, the nonprofit Sustainable Health Systems-Sierra Leone, committed to deploying the country’s first air quality monitor to create the evidence base needed for national air-quality regulation.
- From Latin America, Honduran Congressman Marco Midence committed to working towards air quality legislation and the expansion of Honduras’ national air quality monitoring network on behalf of the National Congress of Honduras.
“We will convene the relevant commission in Congress and technical partners, and we will expand the network of current monitors…so that we have the construction of real public policies that protect the infrastructure and the right to breathe clean air for all Hondurans,” said Congressman Midence in his pledge.
Global clean air organizations such as Clean Air Fund, Climate and Clean Air Coalition, the Health Effects Institute and OpenAQ also participated. The EPIC Air Quality Fund itself pledged to support renewal awards for successful African awardees up to a total of $475,000, thanks to funding from Founders Pledge. It also is partnering with Clean Air Fund to give multi-year support to the Africa Clean Air Forum, which provides a critical venue for collaboration and goal-setting for clean air issues across the African continent and the globe. Both pledges underscore the importance of long-term support for clean air efforts. Meanwhile, its sister organization, the Emissions Market Accelerator, pledged to deliver cleaner air to half a billion people by 2028 by scaling emissions markets across the most polluted airsheds on Earth. A full list of pledge organizations and their pledges can be found here.
The pledges were spotlighted in an event featuring former UN Ambassador Samantha Power, who raised the funding gap.
“Air pollution is one of the greatest risks to global health, yet we still can’t see it clearly — most of the world lacks the publicly accessible air quality data needed to even diagnose the problem, let alone solve it,” said Power. “And because air pollution crosses every border, our data and our solutions have to be built on the same cross-border collaboration. The Clean Air Pledge Session is a vital step toward making that a reality over the coming year.”
The event also featured an expert panel moderated by journalist Rebecca Root, which explored why this cohort is acting now, what they are asking of the global clean air community, and the opportunities for impact they see for those yet not involved in clean air efforts. Panelists included Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority, Ittipol Pawarmart, a division director in the Pollution Control Department of Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, EPIC Air Quality Fund awardee and co-founder and director of Sustenta Honduras Ricardo Pineda Guzmán, Jake Alexander of Fit for Purpose, and Jack Lewars, founder of Ultra Philanthropy.
“Clean air is a matter of global concern, with well-established solutions,” said Lewars. “It causes serious health problems and is widely underfunded. This is therefore a huge opportunity for the field to demonstrate how it could deploy millions more to help people around the world breathe clean, safe air.”
The session culminated in a global roll call of pledge announcements across Africa, Latin America, Asia and globally. Learn more about the impact EPIC Air Quality Fund awardees are already having in their countries here.
This event is made possible through the generous support of our donors to the EPIC Air Quality Fund.