14:00 – 15:30 - Auditorium 3
 

BACKGROUND

Clean Air Asia actively supports cities and countries in managing air pollution and greenhouse gases. They achieve this by enhancing capacity, disseminating data and knowledge, advocating for effective policies and practices, and raising awareness about the connection between air pollution, climate change, and sustainability.
In collaboration with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) of India, Clean Air Asia focused on identifying air pollution hotspots in Delhi and proposing interventions to combat air pollution in key areas.
 
Construction activities play a crucial role in urban development, infrastructure improvement, and economic expansion. Despite their significant benefits, construction projects pose a notable drawback in the form of dust pollution. Construction dust, composed of minuscule particles suspended in the air, mainly originates from activities like excavation, demolition, drilling, and material transportation. When these particles are released into the atmosphere, they can have adverse effects on both the environment and human health. To aid construction professionals, Clean Air Asia developed a toolkit called "Advancing Better Air Quality with Clean Construction." This toolkit offers guidance on straightforward dust control measures, best practices, and checklists for site supervisors to implement effective dust mitigation actions.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are crucial to the growth and development both in developing and developed economies. However, MSMEs often face significant environmental challenges that can hinder their success.  The air pollution problems from MSMEs are compounded by old technologies, untrained manpower, casual attitude, energy issues, poor housekeeping, low heights of emission releases (mostly less than 10 m), and nonpoint fugitive emissions, which are not tractable and can be very significant. 

OBJECTIVE

This session aims to bring distinct perspectives to reduce pollution from MSMEs and construction activities. The session will comprise of two parts:

Part 1: Construction and Demolition Dust .

The session will focus on one dialogue from the perspective of cities and the other perspective from those of green certification agencies, construction companies, etc. This co-learning session will
discuss:

a. The role cities can play in reducing pollution from
construction activities.
b. How can green certifications or ratings accelerate the
uptake of clean construction practices?

The discussions can help identify opportunities for learning, collaboration, and illustrate strategies that can be applied in Asia. The session is envisioned to provide insights on best practices, success stories, learnings on implementation of clean construction practices, to inform scaling adoption of clean construction across different regions in Asia. 

The discussions can help identify opportunities for learning, collaboration, and illustrate strategies that can be applied in Asia. The session is envisioned to provide insights on best practices, success stories, learnings on implementation of clean construction practices, to inform scaling adoption of clean construction across different regions in Asia. 

Part 2: MSMEs

This session will focus on the significant issues from the MSME sector as it suffers from sources of fugitive emissions, poor civic amenities, and inadequate road and infrastructure causing indirect emissions in the industrial areas. There is a need to find technical solutions to nonpoint fugitive emissions emanating from MSMEs including better roads fully paved (carpeted beyond shoulders), better drainage facilities, improved power supply, solid waste collection and removal of all encroachments. It also requires skill development, environmental technology resources, decarbonization, preventing waste burning, use of biomass-based fuel, small-scale units and small boilers, and future energy. Financial constraints and the availability of loans are significant issues for MSMEs.

SESSION ORGANIZERS

Clean Air Asia

PROGRAMME

OPENING

Ms. Prerna Sharma, India Program Manager, Clean Air Asia

PRESENTATION (Part 1)

Clean Construction for India: Overview, lessons learned, outcomes of clean construction project in India.
Mr. Tanmay Tathagat, Director, Environmental Design Solutions

PRESENTATION (Part 2)

Air Pollution Challenges of MSMEs: Policy, Technical and Management Solutions
Dr. Mukesh Sharma, Professor, IIT-Kanpur

MODERATED PANEL DISCUSSION (Part 1): “Role of Cities in Construction related Pollution Control”

Moderator: Ms. Prerna Sharma, India Program Manager, Clean Air Asia

Panelists:

  • Dr. K.S. Jayachandran, Member Secretary, Delhi Pollution Control Committee 

  • Dr. A G T Sugathapala, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

  • Ms. Ashu Dehadani, Associate Director- Technical, GBCI, Green Business Certification, Inc. (GBCI)

  • Mr. Paul Vallar, Environmental Management Specialist II, Air Quality Management Section, Environmental Management Bureau, Philippines

  • Dr. Mukesh Sharma, Professor, IIT-Kanpur, India

  • Mr. Tanmay Tathagat, Director, Environmental Design Solutions

MODERATED PANEL DISCUSSION (Part 2): “Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs): Air Pollution Issues and Workable Solutions”

Moderator: Dr Archana Walia, Clean Air Asia

Panelists: All previous speakers

CLOSING

Dr. Archana Walia, India Director, Clean Air Asia