Indonesia
Measure
In 2017, the government required that all gasoline-fuelled vehicles adopt Euro-4 fuel standards by September 2018.
The Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) was established in 2016 after a markedly severe haze season in 2015 with the aim of restoring over 2.6 million hectares of forest and peatlands devastated by the 2015 fires.
Presidential Regulation No. 5/2006 concerning National Energy Policy sets the energy mix target for 2025, calling for a reduction of fossil oil from 52% in 2003 to 26.2% in 2025.
From 2016 to 2020, Indonesia’s public real-time air quality monitoring network grew from a few monitors in Jakarta to 77 stations across 19 cities.
Thiland
Measure
The UNEP is collaborating with the Pollution Control Department (PCD) to leapfrog from Euro-4 vehicle emission standards to Euro-6.
The PCD coordinates with provincial governments to help them during times of peak pollution. For example, it is helping to find solutions to open burning by developing an air quality forecasting tool that could help to identify the appropriate weather conditions for burning to occur.
From 2017 to 2020, Thailand’s public air quality monitoring network grew from 54 to 565 stations. While the Thai government provides the region’s largest monitoring network, non-governmental contributors operate 73% of monitoring stations nationally.
Bangkok plans to amend regulations to allow access to electricity chargers at petrol stations. The excise tax on electric vehicle components has been decreased by 10% as part of a plan to promote electric vehicles in Thailand.
Vietnam
Measure
On June 1, 2016, the prime minister approved a national action plan on air quality management.
Vietnam’s air quality monitoring network more than doubled between 2019 and 2020, growing from 54 monitoring stations across four cities to 118 stations across 24 cities.
In 2019, Can Tho became the first Vietnamese city to join the worldwide BreatheLife Network, committing to reaching WHO air quality guidelines for PM2.5 and other pollutants by 2030. With this commitment, Vietnam’s fourth-largest city set an air quality control precedent for other Vietnamese cities to follow.
On April 13, 2022, the prime minister approved the National environmental protection strategy, which includes air quality control standards, targets and timelines.
India
Measure
In April 2020, the Euro-6 standards came into effect throughout India for all light and heavy-duty vehicles, as well as two- and three-wheeled vehicles.
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) scheme resulted in an increase in national LPG coverage from 61.9% as of April 1, 2016, to 99.5% as of January 1, 2021, and provided 50 million LPG connections to households with incomes below the poverty line.
The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was adopted in Delhi to tackle pollution control in the National Capital Territory. Polluters are reportedly facing increasing levels of accountability.
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is India’s flagship scheme for improving air quality. From a 2017 baseline, the NCAP targets PM2.5 reductions of 20-30% in 122 selected cities by 2024.
Mongolia
Measure
Air quality monitoring in Mongolia is growing rapidly, largely due to non-governmental organisations and individuals whose community-deployed sensors now supply two-thirds of the national data. There is a high concentration of stations in Ulaanbaatar, which, with 40 stations, has quickly become one of the most densely monitored cities globally.
In May 2019, the government implemented a ban on the burning of raw coal. This has led to a 46% reduction in emissions since implementation.
Mongolia’s excise tax favours electric and hybrid vehicles.
Malaysia
Measure
The Ministry of Environment and Water (KASA) has made a strong push for a greener economy in its Strategic Plan 2020-2030: Environmental Sustainability in Malaysia, with improving air quality being among the top ten national priorities.
Malaysia has made progress in tackling local sources of burning through increased governmental cooperation and a well-developed air quality monitoring network.
Philippines
Measure
The proposed National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP) 2020-2040 set targets of 35% renewable energy in the power generation mix by 2030, and 50% by 2040.
The Philippines Department of Transportation launched the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernisation Programme in 2017 with the objective of a comprehensive modernisation of public road vehicles in the Philippines, including jeepneys and buses.
The road-sharing movement "Bayanihan sa Daan" seeks to set aside half of the road for non-motorised transportation, safe and covered sidewalks and all-weather bike lanes while reserving the other half for an organised transport system.
Sri Lanka
Measure
The purported aim of Sri Lanka’s Clean Air 2025 action plan is to reduce urban, industrial and indoor air pollution and maintain air quality at desirable levels by minimising the emission of harmful air pollutants.
Sri Lanka has taken steps to reduce transport-related pollution, including the phasing out of leaded gasoline in June 2002, the introduction of low-sulphur diesel in January 2003, the banning of two-stroke three-wheeled imports in 2008, and the launch of a vehicular emissions testing programme in 2008.
Bangladesh
Measure
The government's 8th Five Year Plan (July 2020 – June 2025) places significant emphasis on addressing urban air pollution through proposed targets for the reduction of particulate matter levels, taxes on polluting industries and mechanisms for data storage and monitoring.
The Brick Manufacturing and Kiln Installation Act 2013 prohibited the building of brick kilns in residential, preserved or commercial areas. The act was amended in 2019 to make mandatory use of block bricks and introduced phased targets to reduce the use of clay-fired bricks over 2019-2025.