Energy governance and air quality management represent two critical yet often fragmented dimensions of sustainable development. While energy governance focuses on regulating energy production, distribution, and consumption to ensure security, efficiency, and equity, air quality management seeks to control pollutant emissions to protect public health and ecosystems. This paper explores the intersection and tensions between these two policy arenas, emphasizing the need for integrated governance frameworks. Through a comparative analysis of regulatory structures, policy instruments, and institutional arrangements across different national contexts, the study identifies how energy sector decisions particularly those related to fossil fuel dependence, renewable energy transitions, and industrial regulation directly influence air quality outcomes. Conversely, stringent air quality standards can reshape energy policy priorities by accelerating innovation in cleaner technologies and promoting low-carbon pathways. The research argues that current governance models frequently operate in silos, leading to policy incoherence and missed opportunities for co-benefits. An integrated approach that aligns energy planning with air pollution control strategies can enhance policy effectiveness, reduce environmental health risks, and advance climate goals simultaneously. The paper concludes by proposing a multi-level governance framework that incorporates cross-sectoral coordination, participatory policymaking, and data-driven decision tools to harmonize energy and air quality objectives. This synthesis underscores that achieving clean air and sustainable energy transitions requires not only technological solutions but also institutional reform and political commitment.

Keywords: Energy governance; Air quality management; Environmental policy integration; Sustainable development; Climate change mitigation

My name is Faezeh Borhani. I received my M.Sc., Ph.D., and Postdoctoral degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Tehran (UT), Tehran, Iran, in 2017, 2023, and 2024, respectively. Currently, I serve as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, at Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. Since 2021, I have also been serving as an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Environment, Development and Sustainability (Springer Nature). Additionally, I have acted as a reviewer for more than 25 journals published by Springer and Elsevier. I have been an active participant in the International Conference on Environmental Pollution and Public Health (EPPH) in China, where I served as both a keynote speaker and a member of the Technical Program Committee (TPC) in the 2022 and 2023 conferences.