Tag: emissions inventory

Considering Volatile Organic Compounds Emission Inventories and Their Policy Implications: Insights from the EANET Workshop in 2024

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

20 March 2025 – Bangkok, Thailand

The Network Center for the EANET organized a virtual workshop on the Emission Inventory of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and its Application for Policy Consideration on December 4, 2024. The workshop consisted of two sessions: expert lectures and participant presentations. The first session covered key topics such as the importance of developing an emission inventory for atmospheric environmental management, methodologies to estimate VOCs’ emissions from stationary sources, the transportation sector, and biogenic sources. It also included air quality modeling of VOCs and control measures for VOCs. Participants shared the status of VOCs management in their respective countries and discussed ideas for EANET’s involvement in addressing VOCs’ issues. Approximately 60 participants attended the workshop.

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Exploring Emission Inventory Methodologies and Applications: Insights from Experts

Dr. Jun-ichi Kurokawa, from the Asia Center for Air Pollution Research serving as the Network Center for the EANET, delivered a lecture on the introduction of emission inventories, focusing on their roles in managing atmospheric environmental issues and the basic methodology to develop an emission inventory, particularly for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emissions from stationary sources. The presentation began by highlighting the necessity and framework of air quality management, emphasizing the importance of VOCs and emission inventories. For methodologies, general procedures to develop emission inventories were explained, following the process flow of the development from defining the scope and structure to create emission tables and gridded data. Next, the methodology for estimating VOCs emissions from stationary sources was presented. This included details of sector categories, examples of fugitive emissions characteristics of VOCs sources, collecting and setting activity data, emission factors, removal efficiencies, speciation to components, and calculating emissions to create final products. References for methodologies to develop emission inventories were also introduced.

Dr. Tazuko Morikawa from the Japan Automobile Research Institute delivered a lecture on the methodology for estimating emissions from road transport. The lecture began with an overview of global changes in passenger cars and heavy duty vehicles, including electrification targets for passenger cars aimed at mitigating both climate change and air pollution. Next, the necessary information for developing emission inventories for the road transport sector was detailed. This included characteristics of gasoline and diesel vehicles, methods for calculating tail pipe emissions, the definition and estimation of evaporative emission from gasoline vehicles (which are particularly important for VOCs), and component species of VOCs in emissions from the road transport sector. Finally, bioethanol-blended fuels originally introduced to mitigate climate change were discussed due to their impact on air pollutants emissions.

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Screenshot of some participants during the Workshop

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Dr. Justin Sentian, from Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia, delivered a lecture on VOCs emissions from biogenic sources. Biogenic VOCs (BVOCs) are organic compounds emitted by plants and other biological sources. Although these are natural sources, the importance of BVOCs was highlighted due to their strong impact on the formation of ozone and secondary PM2.5. Understanding the contribution of BVOCs is essential for developing effective policies to control anthropogenic VOCs emissions. The lecture also covered the recent status of BVOCs emissions and case studies for Southeast Asia, including future simulations under different climate scenarios. Since BVOCs emissions are significantly influenced by temperature, climate change impacts BVOCs emissions, which in turn affects ozone and PM2.5 concentrations.

Dr. Satoru Chatani from the National Institute for Environmental Studies presented a lecture on the air quality modeling of anthropogenic VOCs. The lecture began by introducing the necessities and roles of air quality simulations for VOCs, which help understand complex physical and chemical processes, including non-linear relationships among NOx, VOCs, and ozone. Next, the treatment of VOCs and their photochemical reactions was explained, including popular chemical modules and VOCs speciation used in air quality models. Application methodologies of air quality models to analyze VOCs issues were then introduced, covering validations and evaluations of simulated results based on monitoring data. This highlighted the importance of monitoring of VOCs and their components. It was emphasized that air quality modeling is essential for developing effective strategies to suppress ambient concentrations of secondary pollutants.

Dr. Shinichi Yonemochi from the Center for Environmental Science in Saitama delivered a lecture on control measures of VOCs using the case of Saitama Prefecture of Japan. The lecture began with an overview of the current and historical backgrounds of Saitama Prefecture focusing on the status of ozone pollution. Regulations of VOCs in Saitama Prefecture, including legal measures and voluntary actions by companies to reduce VOCs were explained.

Next, trends in VOCs emissions from major sources in Saitama Prefecture were presented to demonstrate the effects of these regulations. Examples of actual control measures were introduced, includingVOCs’ emission control techniques, VOC measuring instruments, and experiences using them in various applications such as for outdoor painting and the cleaning process for printing machines.

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Addressing the Status and Issues of VOCs: Perspectives from Participants

During the second session, participants exchanged information on VOCs related issues in their countries, including the general status of air quality, specific topics such as the management of the petrochemical industry, and the progress and challenges in developing VOCs emission inventories. As in previous workshops, many countries identified the continuous enhancement of national emission inventories as a challenge and expressed the desire for additional EANET projects focusing on capacity-building activities. Suggestions included not only webinars but also on-site training courses for major source categories of the emission inventory. The Network Center for the EANET, as the workshop organizer, will assess potential future activities through the EANET Project Fund.

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Find out more about the EANET Project Fund.

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Useful Resources

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Photo credits: aerial photography of interlocking freeways with travelling cars by Ed 259 free of copyrights (2017); other pictures: all rights reserved to EANET.

Measuring air pollutant emissions: EANET strengthens capacity in developing national emission inventories

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

30 July 2025 – Bangkok, Thailand

A regional orientation session for the Regional Capacity Building Programme on Air Pollution Emissions Inventory kicked off on 8 July 2025, drawing environmental professionals from across the Asia-Pacific region to discuss emission inventories, data systems, and regional collaboration. The session marks the launch of a multi-phase capacity-building regional programme aimed at strengthening national air quality management and is jointly organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Asia-Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP), the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), in partnership with EANET.

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About the Programme

The initiative is part of the Regional Capacity Building Programme on Air Pollution Emission Inventory for the Asia Pacific Region, which seeks to strengthen institutional capabilities and support the development of more effective, evidence-based air quality management tools across the region.

UNEP, with support from the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea and in partnership with AIT, is leading this initiative. The programme offers a structured curriculum combining theoretical learning, case studies, practical assignments, group work, interactive sessions, field-based exercises, and site visits. Training will take place from June to September 2025, including online sessions in July and an in-person component at the AIT campus in Bangkok, Thailand, in September. More details on the curriculum and selection criteria are available in the programme’s Concept Note.

This regional programme is generously supported by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea as part of EANET Project Activity 2025-06, titled “Development of methodology and guidelines for national emission inventory and capacity building program for Southeast Asia.” This activity, approved at the Twenty-Sixth Session of the EANET Intergovernmental Meeting (IG26), contributes significantly to EANET’s regional collaboration and technical capacity-building efforts.

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Opening Remarks: Emphasizing Regional Collaboration

In her opening remarks, Ms. Shin Bong-Ju, Deputy Director of the Air Quality Division at the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, emphasized the importance of emission inventories as the foundation for effective air quality management. She shared the vision behind the programme and encouraged stronger cooperation across borders to combat air pollution.

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Programme Structure and Curriculum

The session featured a detailed overview of the training programme, presented by Ms. Kaye Patdu, Programme Management Officer – APCAP at UNEP, and Interim Coordinator for EANET Secretariat, and Dr. Ekbordin Winijkul, Associate Professor at AIT. The programme consists of three phases:

  1. Orientation Session (completed on 8 July 2025)
  2. Online Training Workshops on 17, 24, and 31 July 2025
  3. In-Person Workshop from 9–12 September 2025 at AIT in Pathum Thani, Thailand.

The curriculum includes six modules, beginning with an introduction to emissions inventory, followed by data collection and management. It then covers sectoral emission estimation, quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), and the use of tools for inventory development. The final module focuses on reporting and the application of emission inventories in policymaking.

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Engaged and Diverse Participation

The orientation session welcomed 30 participants from across the Asia-Pacific region, including representatives from: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Participants—many of whom are actively engaged in EANET activities—shared their backgrounds, goals, and expectations. They expressed a strong interest in learning new tools and methodologies to support evidence-based policymaking and improve national emission inventory systems.

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Screenshot from some participants at the orientation session on 8 July 2025.

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Closing and Next Steps

Ms. Ji Hyun Lee, Senior Programme Management Officer at UNEP, delivered the closing remarks. She encouraged participants to stay actively engaged and reiterated the importance of sustained regional collaboration. She also expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea for their generous support.

This training series directly supports EANET’s core mission to enhance cooperation, harmonize air quality data, and build capacity among Participating Countries to address atmospheric deposition and related air pollution challenges.

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Find out more about the EANET Project Fund.

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Photo credits: cover photo by Prasopchok (2024); all other photos: all rights reserved to AIT.

Assessing Emissions Inventories and Source Apportionment in Southeast Asia: Second Meeting of the EANET Project

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

21 June 2024, Bangkok, Thailand

On May 29, 2024, the Secretariat for the EANET organized the project meeting “Emissions Inventories and Source Apportionment of Air Pollution in Southeast Asia” at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok in collaboration with the Asian Institute of Technology Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (AIT-RRC.AP), as a side event to the EANET Regional Workshop in 2024, bringing together 28 participants from various countries and organizations.

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The Second Meeting of the EANET Project on Emissions Inventories and Source Apportionment of Air Pollution in Southeast Asia

Following a first kick-off meeting organized in  April 2024, this second meeting of this project aimed to share updates on emissions inventories (EI) and source apportionment (SA) studies across Southeast Asia, which are crucial for understanding and managing air pollution in the region.

Representatives from government agencies, academic institutions, and international organizations including the Ministry of Environment, Cambodia;  the Institute of Global Climate and Ecology (IGCE), Russia; the French Centre Interprofessionnel Technique d’Etudes de la Pollution Atmosphérique (CITEPA); Clean Air Asia (CAA); the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Indonesia; the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM); King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (JGSEE-KMUTT); the Asia Center For Air Pollution Research (ACAP) and the Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP (CYMG) joined the meeting. Participants discussed the current state of EI and SA, identified challenges, and explored potential solutions for harmonizing data collection and methodology.

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Assessing Emissions Inventories and Source Apportionment Capabilities and Data in Southeast Asia

Mr. Bert Fabian, EANET Coordinator, opened the session by emphasizing the project’s significance, which seeks to compile and assess EI and SA studies to support policy formulation in Southeast Asia. Dr. R. L. Verma from RRC.AP presented a survey-based assessment of institutional capabilities in the region. His findings revealed that while most countries have designated agencies for EI, there are significant gaps in specific regulations and resources. Dr. Truong Thi Huyen from AIT presented updates on the analytical framework for assessing EI and SA development in Southeast Asian countries, highlighting key findings, compilation strategies, and the next steps with an expected timeframe.

A key takeaway from the discussions was the necessity for a harmonized approach to developing and sharing EI and SA data. Participants highlighted the role of governments in overseeing data collection and ensuring its accessibility. They also noted the importance of local emission factors and the involvement of academic institutions in developing these factors.

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Harmonizing the Emission Inventories and Source Apportionment methodologies and data collection

The meeting featured two panel discussions. The first panel focused on experiences from EANET Participating Countries, while the second addressed challenges in harmonizing EI and SA methodologies and data collection. Experts from various organizations shared insights on engaging government participation, ensuring data quality, and formulating effective policies. The project meeting underscored the critical need for regional cooperation and effective data management to tackle air pollution challenges in Southeast Asia.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Fabian thanked the participants for their active engagement and emphasized the next steps, including further collaboration and capacity building to address air pollution in Southeast Asia.

The project Stocktaking and Methodological Assessment of Emissions Inventories and Source Apportionment of Air Pollution in Southeast Asia is being conducted with the support of the EANET Project Fund.

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View the meeting’s photos.

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Photo credits: all rights reserved to EANET.

Kick-off Meeting – Stocktaking and Methodological Assessment of Emissions Inventories and Source Apportionment of Air Pollution in Southeast Asia

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

Bangkok, 18 April 2024

The Secretariat for the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) and the Asian Institute of Technology – Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (AIT RRC.AP), organized the kick-off meeting of the project “Stocktaking and Methodological Assessment of Emissions Inventories and Source Apportionment of Air Pollution in Southeast Asia” on 26 March 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. The objective of the meeting was to better understand the emissions inventories and source apportionment situation in the countries of Southeast Asia and discuss with project partners and experts the framework for metadata analysis and project ideas on emission inventories and source apportionment studies in the region.

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Opening Session

Representatives from the National Air Emission Inventory and Research Center (NAIR) in Korea, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Philippines, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Centre Interprofessionnel Technique d’Etudes de la Pollution Atmosphérique (CITEPA), the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Clean Air Asia (CAA), the Bandung Institute of Technology in Indonesia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, the Asia Center For Air Pollution Research (ACAP), the Regional Resource Center For Asia and the Pacific (RRC.AP), the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Thailand, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the EANET Secretariat attended the meeting with a total of 28 participants.

Dr. Mushtaq Memon from UNEP opened the meeting, and, in his remarks, he stressed the importance of regional mechanisms like EANET for addressing air pollution. He highlighted the need for emission inventories, supportive policies, air quality standards, stakeholder engagement, and public awareness.

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Expert Insights from the EANET Participating Countries and Non-governmental Organizations

Experts from the EANET region and Europe presented use cases on emission inventories and source apportionment in different settings.

Dr. Ekbordin Winijkul from AIT discussed Thailand’s emission inventory experience, emphasizing an integrated approach to air quality management, and outlining the plans for the Thailand National Emission Inventory project. Dr. Jongmin Joo from NAIR introduced the Clean Air Policy Support System (CAPSS) and the Republic of Korea’s National Emissions and Air Quality Assessment System (NEAS), detailing their methodologies and their integration into policymaking and governmental acknowledgment. Mr. Jundy del Socorro from EMB, Philippines, discussed emission inventory development, highlighting methodologies and regional contributions to air pollutants, as well as introducing the Philippines’ Integrated Information System (IIS) for data coordination.

Dr. Zbigniew Klimont from IIASA presented the Greenhouse Gas Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model, emphasizing its use in assessing emission control strategies’ cost-effectiveness and showcasing case studies in Asia. Dr. Sophie Moukhtar from CITEPA discussed emissions inventories under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP), emphasizing their importance and reporting obligations. Dr. Chris Malley from SEI presented the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning Integrated Benefits Calculator (LEAP-IBC) for integrated air pollution and climate change mitigation assessment, while Mr. Enrique Mikhael Cosep from CAA discussed emission inventories and source apportionment challenges in Asia.

Dr. Jun-ichi Kurokawa from ACAP presented the EANET’s activities related to emission inventories and source apportionment, highlighting ongoing projects.

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Project Discussion

The project kick-off meeting continued with discussions among participants on how to develop a relevant framework for metadata analysis of the studies in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Ram Lal Verma from AIT RRC.AP provided an initial review of existing emission inventories in Southeast Asian countries, highlighting available research studies and developed inventories in several countries in the region. Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh from AIT discussed the meta-analysis of emission inventory and source apportionment databases in Southeast Asia, proposing a framework and sharing database templates.

Participants expressed insights on follow-up activities and projects of EANET, emphasizing the need to avoid duplication of work and standardize frameworks for emission inventories and source apportionment methodologies. It was agreed that government involvement is crucial for data collection and quality assurance when developing emission inventories. Participants stressed the necessity of regional mechanisms to harmonize emission inventories’ methodologies and processes.

Source apportionment studies were noted as important but lacking in ASEAN countries, requiring capacity building and resources. Volatile Organic Compound speciation and Greenhouse gas emissions’ emission inventories processes were suggested for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Finally, lessons from the European Union’s common frameworks for emission inventories were discussed as an important model to consider for the ASEAN region.

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The next meeting of the project will be held on 29 May in Bangkok, Thailand, back to back with the EANET Regional Awareness Workshop.

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The project Stocktaking and Methodological Assessment of Emissions Inventories and Source Apportionment of Air Pollution in Southeast Asia is being conducted with the support of the EANET Project Fund.

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View the meeting’s photos.

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Photo credits: all rights reserved to EANET.

Highlights from the EANET National Stakeholder Awareness Workshop in Cambodia

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

Bangkok, 17 April 2024

The EANET National Stakeholder Awareness Workshop in Cambodia – Understanding Air Pollution and its Sources, Weather, Climate, and Topography in Cambodia, was held in Phnom Phen, Cambodia, on 19 March 2024, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Cambodia, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), back-to-back with UNEP’s Cambodia Clean Air and Sustainable Transport Workshop, held on 18-19 March. About 30 participants joined the Workshop. The workshop aimed to promote the EANET’s achievements, gain insight into Cambodia’s specific needs related to air quality management, and foster the development of additional initiatives to assist in addressing acid deposition and air pollution.

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Opening Session

The meeting started with Opening Remarks from Dr. Chou Monidarin, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Environment Cambodia, and the National Focal Point of Cambodia for the EANET, followed by an introduction to the EANET and to the objectives of the meeting by Mr. Bert Fabian, Coordinator, Secretariat for the EANET. Prof. Meng Fan, Deputy Director General of the Network Center for the EANET, the Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP) then presented the activities of the EANET on air quality and acid deposition management, air pollution trends in the region, and the main activities of the EANET including monitoring, capacity building and technical support to Participating Countries.

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EANET National Stakeholder Awareness Workshop in Cambodia
Group photo of participants on the first day of the workshop (photo by Clean Air Asia)

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Assessing Cambodia’s Air Quality Landscape, Dynamics and Initiatives

Mr. Chandath Him outlined Cambodia’s air quality, citing primary pollution sources as older vehicles and industrial plants. With over 6.6 million registered motorcycles and cars since 1990, along with 1,859 operational industrial plants, pollution also stems from construction activities and agricultural practices. He highlighted the significance of airborne dust due to unpaved streets and construction, and discussed ongoing initiatives on monitoring like satellite projects and Low-Cost Sensors (LCS). Cambodia is updating its air pollution laws, including new vehicle emission standards, fines, and industry controls, with Euro 5/V standards enforced from January 2027. He introduced Cambodia’s Clean Air Plan, analyzing pollutants and proposing mitigation measures to reduce air pollution and combat climate change, aiming for integrated planning and coordinated management efforts.

Dr. Chanmoly OR, Director of the Research and Innovation Center at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia presented an analysis of the complex interplay between topography, weather, and air pollution in Cambodia. Favorable wind circulation aids in pollutant dispersion, while factors including humidity, temperature, and precipitation also influence air quality. The presentation underscored the need for comprehensive research to understand pollution sources better coming mainly from the the transport and construction sectors in urban areas, and from open-burning and agriculture, in rural areas, including emerging concerns such as microplastics particle pollution.

Dr. Anantaa Pandey outlined the Global Green Growth Institute‘s (GGGI) efforts to enhance air quality in Cambodia, focusing on emissions inventories, public transportation improvement, and capacity building. The program aims to address challenges such as equipment maintenance, expand monitoring infrastructure, and develop emission control strategies tailored to Cambodia’s context.

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Strategies for Effective Air Pollution Management

The discussion segment saw active participation from experts and policymakers, emphasizing the urgency of addressing air pollution through multifaceted strategies. Participants highlighted the importance of upgrading vehicle emission standards, promoting cleaner fuels, and regulating industrial emissions. Challenges such as economic constraints and the high cost of fuel upgrades were acknowledged, with suggestions for phased transitions and international support.

The EANET meeting concluded with a consensus on the need for concerted efforts to combat air pollution in Cambodia. Key takeaways included the importance of robust monitoring infrastructure, innovative solutions tailored to local contexts, and international collaboration. The meeting underscored the critical role of initiatives like EANET in guiding Cambodia towards a cleaner and healthier future.

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Useful Resources

-Read the Panelists’ Presentations:

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Photo credits: cover photo of Phnom Penh (2022) by allPhoto Bangkok, group photo by Clean Air Asia.