ADB Supports Launch of CAI-Asia Dialogue for Cleaner Fuels with Major Oil Companies
SINGAPORE (21 July 2003) – Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia), supported by an ADB regional technical assistance, today launched a Dialogue for Cleaner Fuels in Asia with 12 major regional and national oil companies.
The Dialogue will identify important issues surrounding cleaner transport fuels and identify implications for the refining industry in Asia for producing cleaner fuels as part of an integrated strategy to improve air quality.
Air pollution kills almost half a million Asians every year, with motor vehicles as major contributors to the problem.
The Dialogue for Cleaner Fuels is one of the activities initiated by CAI-Asia to improve air quality management, in addition to activities aimed at studying the health impacts of air pollution, improvements of air quality monitoring, or reducing emissions of in-use vehicles.
The oil companies announced their commitment to the dialogue by endorsing the Singapore Statement which establishes the dialogue process.
The establishment of the Dialogue reflects the significance attached by the major oil companies in Asia to environmental stewardship in their operations.
There are a number of interrelated causes of vehicle pollution, including outdated engine technology, and poor maintenance, fuel quality, and traffic management.
The Dialogue is the first regional effort of this scale to bring the oil companies in Asia around the table to discuss how they plan to introduce cleaner fuels for transportation in the region. CAI-Asia will be facilitating the Dialogue.
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