Methane and black carbon – air quality and climate change (Green Week)

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The objective of this session is to discuss how and in what way reductions of methane and black carbon could best be scaled up to meet air quality and climate objectives.

Policies are in place in the EU to reduce both methane and black carbon. The EU's methane emissions already dropped by 30% between 1990 and 2010, mainly as a result of EU waste legislation. Black carbon emissions in the EU have declined as a side effect of legislation on emissions from vehicle legislation. The total emission reductions expected (in the EU and globally) are, however, not enough to meet EU air quality objectives or to stay within 2°C climate ceiling.

The review of the EUStrategy on Air Pollution examines technical options and costs to reduce both black carbon and methane. This is especially important for further reductions from vehicles, off-road machinery, sulphur from ships, diesel-related fuels, coal used in small combustion installation and field burning in agriculture.

The Commission also participates in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to promote further reduction of short lived climate pollutants globally. This is needed since the greenhouse gas emission reductions pledges in the international climate negotiations are not sufficient to limit temperature increase to 2 degree Celsius.  Since neither the 2°C ceiling nor the air quality targets of the thematic strategy are going to be met with current policies, the central issue is how best to scale up emission reductions.

The expected outcome of the session is an identification of the best policy options to improve both air quality and climate in and outside the EU. 

Speakers

• Kaveh Zahedi, Deputy Director, Division of Technology, Industry & Economics (DTIE), United Nations Enviroment Programme (UNEP)
• Louise Duprez, Senior Policy Officer, Air, Industrial Emissions & Noise, European Environmental Bureau
• Johan Kuylenstierna, Executive Director, Stockholm Environment Institute

Moderator

• Aminda Leigh, T-Media

Interview with UNEP's Kaveh Zahedi 

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). 

> Full report here