Short-lived Climate Pollutants
Short-lived climate pollutants also significantly impact food, water and economic security for large populations throughout the world, both directly through their negative effects on public health, agriculture and ecosystems, and indirectly through their impact on the climate.
The effects of short-lived climate pollutants represent a major development issue that calls for quick and significant global action.
IIASA's work explores accessible and cost-effective measures to reduce the emissions of these substances which, if quickly implemented, can bring immediate benefits for the climate as well as the health and livelihoods of millions.
In 2012, the program identified 17 specific measures that would improve human health and reduce global warming. Published in the UNEP/WMO Assessment of Black Carbon, these findings led to the foundation of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), a voluntary partnership of governments, intergovernmental organizations, businesses, scientific institutions and civil society organizations committed to improving air quality and protecting the climate through actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants. The CCAC network currently includes over 120 state and non-state partners, and hundreds of local actors carrying out activities across economic sectors.
Research Projects
EU Action on Black Carbon in the Arctic
The EU Action on Black Carbon in the Arctic is a European Union Initiative to Support International Policy Development More
Impacts of Short-Lived Air Pollutants (ECLIPSE)
ECLIPSE is conducting research to increase knowledge about emissions of ozone and aerosols, which act as short-lived climate forcers, and identify concrete, cost-effective abatement measures. More
Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific: Science-based Solutions
IIASA contributes to the first comprehensive, solution-oriented interdisciplinary scientific assessment of the air pollution outlook and policy measures in Asia, identifying the top 25 clean air measures for Asia that would deliver important co-benefits on a wide range of other development priorities. More
Global methane emissions
Agriculture and fossil fuel energy supply each contribute almost 40% to global anthropogenic methane emissions, with waste and wastewater sectors making up about 20%. More
Global emissions of fluorinated gases
IIASA's GAINS model assesses emissions of fluorinated gases with great detail More
Key Findings
- Non-CO2 gases and ambitious climate targets
Resources
AIR has produced global emission fields for a range of future scenarios for non-CO2 emissoins as an input for modeling of future atmospheric chemistry and transport as well as climate impacts. Data can be downloaded from the GAINS database.
