When it comes to clean air policies, knowing what works—and what doesn’t—is essential for making meaningful improvements. That’s why the WM-Net Zero team developed Aqpet, an innovative tool that helps evaluate air quality policies more accurately. Traditional approaches often struggle to separate the actual impact of a policy from other factors like weather changes. Aqpet addresses this by using advanced machine learning to “normalize” data for weather effects, making it easier to see if improvements in air quality are due to the policy itself.
Aqpet also offers powerful tools to compare treated areas with similar control areas, allowing researchers to create a clear “before-and-after” picture of a policy’s effect. For policymakers, this means more reliable information to guide decisions, enabling communities to invest in the most effective air quality solutions. With Aqpet, clean air policies can be rigorously tested, helping ensure that every step taken toward cleaner air brings us closer to healthier cities and improved public well-being.
Discover how Aqpet is transforming policy evaluation.
Dai, Y., Liu, B., Tong, C., & Shi, Z. (2024). Aqpet — An R package for air quality policy evaluation. Environmental Modelling & Software, 170, 105545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2024.105545