Outcome of the 12th Tripartite Policy Dialogue on Air Pollution (TPDAP)

1. The Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan, held the 12th Tripartite Policy Dialogue on Air Pollution (TPDAP) between Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the People's Republic of China in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, on July 10 and 11, 2025. The three countries exchanged information on their air environment management policies, discussed their future initiatives, and agreed to continue cooperation.

 

2. The outcomes of this dialogue will be reported to the 26th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting (TEMM26) to be held this year.

The Tripartite Policy Dialogue on Air Pollution (TPDAP) has been held annually among Japan, Korea, and China, based on the agreement of the 15th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting (TEMM15) in 2013, and this is the 12th TPDAP.

(1) Outcomes of the experts’ working group meeting
At the experts’ working group meeting held ahead of the Policy Dialogue, experts from the three countries shared information and exchanged opinions under the theme “The Latest Research on Ozone Control in Northeast Asia”. The experts cited research into factors that generate photochemical oxidants (herein after, ozone), and countermeasures against precursors such as nitrogen oxide (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as challenges commonly faced by the three countries. Together with the impact of the transboundary air transport, the three countries discussed integrated management of air pollutants and carbon dioxide, and the use of satellite observation.
The outcomes of the working group meeting had been reported in the Policy Dialogue, and the three countries agreed to continue technology exchanges.

(2) Air quality management policies
Japan presented the status of its air environment and its policy measures, the re-evaluation of environmental standard on ozone, and a plan to observe carbon dioxide (NO2) by satellite observation. Korea presented the currents status of its air quality policy strategies, and China presented the current status of its prevention and management of air pollution.
The three countries exchanged opinions, and taking into account the opinion researchers pointed out that a large proportion of tropospheric ozone is derived not only from NOₓ and VOCs in each country, but also from the Asian region and the entire Northern Hemisphere, the three countries, which face the same challenges, confirmed the importance of sharing knowledge and experience and working together to promote countermeasures.
Based on the common recognition that the three countries have made considerable progress in improving air quality to date, the next five-year (2026-2030) Action Plan for this Policy Dialogue was discussed and generally agreed upon.

(3) Future initiatives
Based on the next five-year (2026-2030) Action Plan for this Policy Dialogue, the three countries shared the same understanding on:
- Promoting sharing of knowledge and experiences, and exchange of opinions on PM2.5 and  generation mechanisms of ozone and approaches to control them, in order to solve air pollution in Northeast Asia.
- Sharing scientific knowledge on the interactions between atmospheric environment and climate change, as well as its integrated management approaches.
- Sharing the outcomes of this Policy Dialogue (3 + X) through international frameworks, such as the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET). 

It was decided that the next Policy Dialogue would be hosted by and held in China in 2026.

The outcomes of this Policy Dialogue will be reported at the 26th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting among Japan, Korea, and China (TEMM26) to be held this year.
 
 
Attachment
Agenda of the 12th Tripartite Policy Dialogue on Air Pollution (TPDAP)