A recent workshop in Mexico provided technical training on the measurement of gas concentrations for monitoring air quality and climate change, and discussed the importance of having the right public policies and regulations in place. The three-day event, held at the headquarters of Mexico’s National Metrology Center (CENAM) in Querétaro, brought together staff members of metrology institutions or laboratories from 13 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The opening session focused on the regulation of air quality standards, and each participant gave a short presentation on the policies and rules in his or her own country. Other sessions covered technical aspects involved in the implementation of mobile emission programs, the development of measurement standards, the preparation and certification of gas mixtures, and the measurement of air quality and greenhouse gases, among other topics. The agenda also included visits to CENAM laboratories.

The OAS Department of Sustainable Development, which operates the ECPA Clearinghouse, organized the workshop in partnership with Mexico’s National Metrology Center and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The workshop took place September 8-10 and included technical personnel from Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago.