May 25, 2021

San Diego and Baja California have leveraged complementing resources to create a $2.5 Billion co-producing manufacturing supply chain and became, together, the largest medical device cluster in the world. Our binational Cali-Baja region is home to global companies that have settled here thanks to our strategic geographic location that provides them with access to Latin America and Asia-Pacific markets. In fact, 90% of California exports travel through our regional ports of entry. The movement of goods and people across our region causes heavy congestion on our highways and at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa land ports of entry. This congestion plays a large role in the release of pollutants in our atmosphere, damaging the air quality.

The key factors impacting our air quality come from greenhouse gas (GHG) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from energy generation, industrial activity, unpaved roads, and vehicles that transport goods and people across our region every day. The pandemic has also emphasized the importance of addressing this pressing issue, as air pollutants cause, or contribute to, respiratory illnesses such as asthma which increased our community’s risk of experiencing COVID-19 complications. Exposure to emissions that can also cause long-term health issues has been significantly reduced thanks to public programs and initiatives such as State Implementation Plans in California, ProAires in Baja, and cross-border efforts led by binational entities including the California-Mexico Border Relations Council.

Register here and join us on June 17 at 10:00am for a conversation on Cali-Baja’s road to air sustainability. Speakers will share an overview of efforts to ensure improved air quality for our binational community, cross-border collaboration, and the role the business sector plays in achieving this goal.