On May 10 to 14, 2010, A&WMA (Air & Waste Management Association) International Specialty Conference ‘Leapfrogging Opportunities for Air Quality Improvement’ was held in Xi’an grandly. This conference was joint held by A&WMA and China branch, IEECAS and American Desert Research Institute. Researcher Dr. Junji Cao from IEECAS was acted as chairman of this conference, and Dr. Judith Chow and Dr. John Watson from American Desert Research Institute was acted as technique director and academic committee director respectively. There were about 450 researchers who came from institutes, universities and enterprises domestic and overseas participated this conference. Among the participants, 180 of them were from 35 different countries, such as USA, France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, Sweden, Australia, Austria, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Iran, Croatia, Norway, Chile, South Africa, India, Ireland, Turkey, Argentina, Singapore, Germany, etc. In addition, some of the researchers were from Taiwan and Hongkong. This conference was supported by USEPA, USERI, National Natural Science Foundation of China and China Light and Power Co., Ltd.(HK) and IEECAS.

    This conference was the first time that A&WMA held the special conference in the city which was out of North America. This conference scheduled 6 conference reports, 220 oral presentations and 70 posters. There were 22 exhibitors from all around the world attended the instrument exhibition. Jeffery Clark, Director of Air Pollution Policy Analysis Research of USEPA; Dr. Christine Loh, Director of Hong Kong Civic Exchange Policy Institute; Prof. Alan Lloyd, Chairman of The International Committee of the US Clean Transportation; Prof. James Zhang, Director of the Environmental and Occupational Health Department at Rutgers University of US; Academician Jiming Hao of Tsinghua University and Prof. Bingheng Chen of Fudan University gave invited report respectively. Conference topics included regional and urban emission source inventory methods; research and technology of atmospheric emission sources and characteristics; air quality modelling applications; cross-border transport of pollutants; clean transportation options; sources of emission control technology; air pollution and health effects; negative impact on visibility, materials and ecosystems; climate change and sustainable development; costs and benefits analysis of air quality management, linkages of scientific research and policy, and science popularization activity for general public; optimization of air quality management policies at the regional and urban areas of complex pollution. Also 7 awards, such as excellent paper, excellent report, etc, were selected on the closing ceremony.

    The success of this conference led to the participators who were experts and experienced in all aspects of air quality assessment and management in worldwide get together, and shared the latest achievement of air quality research, high technology and advanced management experience, and to solve the natural and artificial air pollution problem together. This conference can be an advanced international academic exchange platform and window, which can further promote China’s air pollution research, management and policy of a leapfrog development, and cause a major impact in the International Academy of Air Pollution Circles.