Climate and Clean Air Coalition at EU Green Week 2013

Fast action to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), such as black carbon and methane, has the potential to prevent a significant proportion of the estimated 6 million deaths annually from air-pollution-related disease, avoid annual crop losses of over 30 million tons annually, and slow near-term global warming by up to 0.5⁰ C (2010-2050). 

These were the messages of UNEP’s Kaveh Zahedi, representing the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, at the 2013 EU Green Week.

Mr Zahedi detailed further examples such as the negative effects that tropospheric ozone has on crop yields, and how black carbon influences the formation of clouds that have a negative effect on photosynthesis that impacts plant growth.

Johan Kuylenstierna from the Stockholm Environment Institute spoke alongside, explaining that meeting the world’s target of restricting global temperature rises to below 2^oC will only be possible if both short-lived pollutants and carbon dioxide are reduced to slow warming in the short term and longer-term respectively. The point of tackling both the short and long-lived pollutants being endorsed by Christer Ågren of the European Environmental Bureau.

The panellists agreed that short-term climate pollutant measures are cost-neutral and can be applied with the technology available today. Mr Zahedi detailed some of the initiatives that the CCAC is running, including promoting the adoption of clean cooking and heating stoves, and reducing emissions of black carbon and other pollutants from brick production.

> A full video of the session is available 

> Powerpoint presentations from session

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC) was founded by UNEP and six countries in February 2012 in a bid to catalyse rapid reductions in pollutants such as methane, black carbon and some hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Including the European Commission, the Coalition now has over 65 partners including governments, intergovernmental organizations, civil society and the private sector. For more information visit www.unep.org/ccac