Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy will meet at 2 p.m. on February 18, in the U.S. Department of State’s Treaty Room for a signing ceremony to launch a joint air quality program at select U.S. diplomatic missions overseas.

Secretary Kerry and Administrator McCarthy will deliver brief remarks and sign a statement of intent.

The partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes air pollution as a serious and growing health threat worldwide. Yet in many areas, real-time air quality data are unavailable.

The State Department and EPA’s collaboration will provide data from U.S. missions overseas to EPA’s AirNow platform. That will provide U.S. citizens and government personnel overseas with better information to mitigate health risks from air pollution and make informed health decisions. It also will enhance the availability of ambient air quality data and expertise around the world, offering a greater opportunity for the United States to create partnerships on air quality with other nations.