Air Pollution

The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) has threatened to file a PHP1 billion (USD 23.34 million) class-action suit against Manuel Roxas II, the Transportation and Communications Secretary, if measures to reduce air pollution in Metro Manila are not taken. "The provisions of Republic Act (RA) 8749 or the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 confirms our individual right to breathe clean air. It also provides the legal basis for the filing of a citizen’s suit against those who violates the clean air law," PMA Manila Governor Dr Leo Olarte told Rappler.com. Under the Act government officials who neglect their duties in implementing its provisions may be held liable in a citizen's suit

In a bid to counter growing air pollution concerns, Beijing is reported to be looking at adopting vehicle emission standards as strict as those in Europe, according to Xinhua.

China’s State Council has issued a statement outlining plans for a new air quality standard to be adopted in phases by cities across the country. Although the exact level of various pollutants in the new standard was not revealed, it will include measures of ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) for the first time. The four municipalities - Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing - and 27 provincial capitals, as well as three key regions, including the Yangtze and Pearl river deltas and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, will start monitoring PM2.5 and ozone intensity this year.

As its fellow countrymen in Beijing gasp for clean air in near record pollution levels, Shanghai says it will spend 10.3 billion yuan (USD1.6 billion) on air pollution reduction over the next three years, a 40-percent increase over the amount spent over the last three years combined.

China will launch a new pollution monitoring system that will also check the effect of greenhouse gasses on human health. The system will look at the medical and mortality records and compare them to instances of fog and haze to enable targeted intervention.