Chungcheongnam-do Province and Shaanxi, China have agreed to fight air pollution together. From April 3rd to 5th, Chungcheongnam-do officials visited Shaanxi to share their plan to combat high levels of particulate matter and discussed ways to fight the air pollution. The two provinces agreed on the benefit of solving environmental issues and suggested that they establish the East Asia Climate Change Association (AECE) this October. 
 

Shaanxi responded that they will actively participate in the plan to fight high levels of particulate matter and more. They also agreed to research ways to pull fine dust out of the air. As for the conference, they decided to hold it after a government-led application process, and the establishment of the AECE will follow that. The delegation also visited large outdoor air purifiers in Shaanxi, sharing tips for cost reduction and the like.

A provincial official announced, “Through this visit, we were able to discuss the shared environmental issue that we both face. In the future, we will make a timeline for our plan to improve the environment and come up with a specific policy plan for that purpose.”
 

On another note, seven city and provincial Public Health and Environment Research Institutes, including Chungcheongnam-do Province, gathered to discuss ways to combat air pollution from China and elsewhere. For the transboundary research on particulate matter, both regions will measure the air quality on the west coast through their research networks, measuring the impact of fine dust in both countries and look for feasible solutions.
 

Additionally, Chungcheongnam-do Province is planning on establishing the East Asia Climate Change Association (AECE) after the Powering Past Coal and Climate Change International Conference this October. Once AECE is established, we will be able to ▲ establish a common policy to improve air quality with other East Asian organizations, ▲ publicize policy advocacy and establish a roadmap for the policy, and ▲ find ways to improve air quality and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.