Private sector plays an important role in reducing vehicle pollution

"Everybody breathes the same air. Air pollution affects us all and everyone including the private sector, has a responsibility to reduce their contribution to air pollution." This was Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) Center's message to the more than 30 participants in the Clean Transport Session organized by the Manila Water Corporation and the Asia Pacific Roundtable for Cleaner Production on 19 February 2009. Participants, who were fleet managers from Manila Water and their suppliers, were briefed about the basics of air pollution, transport and climate change by May Ajero, Air Quality Program Manager of CAI-Asia Center, introduced to the TNT/UNEP Clean Fleet Management Toolkit and practical measures to reduce air pollution from vehicles by Atty. Glynda Bathan, CAI-Asia Center's Policy and Partnership Manager.

In 2008, the oil industry raised concerns that cheap smuggled oil, which could be of poor quality, was being sold in the Philippines. Imported second hand engines being used in jeepneys and buses have been found to cause vehicles to smokebelch. For this reason, among the practical measures highlighted at the training was for private sector not to purchase smuggled oil and to take steps to ensure that second hand engines or vehicles they purchase are not smoke belching. One company informed CAI-Asia Center staff that while purchasing second hand vehicles may be cheap in the short run, maintaining them costs a lot in the long-run.

Some of the other questions from participants revolved around these practical ways to reduce vehicle emissions: ecodriving, vehicle maintenance, and use of biofuels. One company requested for a follow-up meeting to discuss how it could use the Toolkit to reduce emissions from the vehicle fleet in their realty operations.