The European Commission, the Council, and the Parliament have agreed on a revision of the Air Quality Directive 2008/50/EC. This revision introduces tangible and significant changes that will now lead to concrete actions and impacts. The Air Quality Forum 2025 serves as a platform to thoroughly analyze and discuss these new developments.
The Air Quality Forum 2025 will focus on the motivation and key changes of the directive, their impact on various stakeholders, and the legal implications. The emphasis will also be on the challenges of implementation and the technologies necessary. Emerging trends and future developments in air quality management will also be highlighted. Various solutions in cities and regions, the use of hybrid networks, and the need for new technical standards will be discussed. Topics will be considered in an international context, illustrated by examples from Spain, Italy, and Malaysia.
The event will be moderated by Prof Dr-Ing habil Achim Dittler, professor at Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Political drivers and obstacles of the new Air Quality Directive will be explored by a team led by François Wakenhut, head of the Clean Air Unit of the European Commission. Insights into the discussions that led to the current WHO recommendations will be provided by Jeffery Smith, a WHO advisor. The role of Sentinel-5p satellites in monitoring air quality will be presented by Dr Claus Zehner from ESA. Annalena Franke from Deutsche Umwelthilfe and Emma Bud from ClientEarth will discuss the legal and political aspects of the directive, while Dr Josef Cyrys from the Helmholtz Zentrum München will present new research findings on the health effects of air pollutants.
The conference is aimed at cities, industry representatives, governments, organizations, and individuals who are interested in the changes due to the new directive and its implications. The presentations and discussions will be conducted in English.
The forum is organized by Palas GmbH, the aerosol technology company committed to promoting dialogue and bringing the right stakeholders together to work towards cleaner and healthier air.
Further information about the program and registration can be found on the official website of the Air Quality Forum 2025.