Download Short-lived climate pollutants: The scientific case for fast policy action Joseph Alcamo

Short-lived climate pollutants:
The scientific case for fast policy action
Joseph Alcamo
Chief Scientist, UNEP
Air pollution: unfinished business on the sustainable
development agenda
Outdoor air pollution
Progress towards global
environmental goals
(UNEP GEO-5)
“Some progress” Despite some
progress, outdoor air pollution
continues to have serious impacts
on the environment & human health.
About 1.3 (3.7?) million premature deaths each year due to
outside air pollution.
Indoor air pollution
“little or no progress”
“Indoor air pollution from particulate matter continues to have
major health impacts, particularly on women and children.”
• 3 billion people cook and heat using open fires and leaky stoves
burning biomass and coal.
• Around 2 million people die each year prematurely from illness
attributable to indoor air pollution
Source: WHO statistics
What are short-lived climate pollutants?
Short-lived climate pollutants: Cause global warming &
relatively short-lived in the atmosphere.
Black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone,
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
Multiple benefits of reducing short-lived climate
pollutants:
•
Reduce air pollution - Protect health and crops
•
Slow down near-term global warming, reduce regional
impacts of climate change
A package of 16 measures can substantially reduce black
carbon + methane emissions and achieve multiple benefits
Three UNEP studies with scientific
community
1. “Near Term Climate Protection and Clean Air
Benefits”
2. “Global Assessment of Black Carbon and
Tropospheric Ozone”.
3. “HFCs: Critical Link in Protecting Climate and
the Ozone Layer
Emission reductions in 2030 (rel. to BAU)
Methane :  - 40%
Black carbon :  - 80%
Black carbon measures
• Improved stoves
• Upgraded brick kilns
• Particle filters for diesel vehicles
Methane measures
• Recovery from fossil fuel production
(oil & gas production; coal mines)
• Waste / landfill management
No technical breakthroughs.
These measures already implemented in many countries
Cost-effective
How Achieve
Action against short lived climate pollutants
reduces air pollution & saves lives
Premature
mortalities
avoided
in 2030
thousands/year
East Asia +
Pacific
750
thousand
deaths/yr
Africa
200
thousand
deaths/yr
S, W, &
Central
Asia
1.15
million deaths/yr
Reducing black carbon
protects public health
Avoided premature
mortalities (2030) from
outdoor air pollution
Total lives saved globally
= 2.4 million / year
From UNEP (2011)
1.9
Action against short lived climate pollutants
reduces air pollution & saves lives
Premature
mortalities
avoided
Ban open
burning
Particle
filters
Reducing black carbon
protects public health
Avoided premature
mortalities (2030) from
outdoor air pollution
Total lives saved globally
= 2.4 million / year
Eliminate
high-emission
vehicles
Upgrade
cookstoves
From UNEP (2011)
1.9
Action against short-lived climate pollutants
reduces crop damage
Positive impact of methane + black carbon reduction
measures on reducing ozone damage to crops
Avoided crop damage in 2030 (4 crops):
Regional examples:
North America + Europe: 4.8 million tonnes /year
E Asia, Pacific: 9.7 million tonnes /year
Total worldwide : 32 million tonnes / year
Action against short-lived climate pollutants
slows down global warming
Slowing down near term global warming
How much?
16 measures reduce global warming  0.4 - 0.5 oC (2010 - 2050) relative to
reference scenario  almost halving temperature rise
Glacier lake outburst floods
Why slow down near term global warming?
• Bursting glacier lakes
• Increasing heat waves
• Melting arctic land ice, ice caps,  sea level rise,
accelerating climate change
Cannot substitute for CO2 reductions
Need both …
1. Reducing short-lived climate pollutants: slows down near-term global warming
2. CO2 reductions for long term climate protection
How much does it cost?
Costs of implementing 16 measures
50% of black carbon and methane emission reductions:
Low cost or no-cost  Recovery of methane, better fuel efficiency
Black carbon measures
• Improved stoves
• Upgraded brick kilns
• Particle filters for diesel vehicles
Methane measures
• Recovery from fossil fuel production
(coal mines; gas distribution)
• Waste / landfill management
Action against short-lived climate pollutants avoids the
build-up of new greenhouse gases & protects ozone layer
To protect ozone layer: Montreal Protocol
Phase out of CFCs + other ozone-depleting substances
Bonus of phase-out: Substantial reduction of greenhouse
gases
Replacement chemical: HFCs
- Ozone friendly
- But powerful greenhouse gas
- Rapid build-up in atmosphere
- Average atmosph. lifetime ~ 15 yrs.
Carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of ozone
depleting gases and their replacements
CFCs
increasing
CFCs
phase out
HFCs
phase in
Sources: UNEP 2011; Velders et al. 2012 Science
Action against short-lived climate pollutants avoids the
build-up of new greenhouse gases & protects ozone layer
Avoiding build-up of HFCs in atmosphere:
Alternatives to HFCs
1. HFCs with very short-lifetime, with low Global
Warming Potential
2. Alternative chemicals (substitutes for HFCs)
3. Doing things differently (eliminating need for
HFCs or similar chemicals)
Actions on the National, Regional and Global Scales
Why national action?
• Most health benefits close to emission sources; local
sustainable development.
• Fast action on obvious emission sources, National Action Plans
Why regional action?
• Reduce regional-scale pollution, e.g. black carbon
transported long distances to Himalayas, Arctic
• Integrate abatement of black carbon and methane into
existing/new regional air pollution agreements
Why global action?
• Control international emission sources  Work within existing treaties: e.g. Reduce
black carbon emissions through MARPOL?
• Support and catalyze national and regional action – awareness raising, financing,
technical assistance  Climate and Clean Air Coalition
Political action now: the Coalition
Coalition for Climate and Clean Air
February, 2012: 6 countries + UNEP
End 2012: 27 countries (+EU) + 23 non-state
partners
Initiatives
1.Reducing Black Carbon Emissions from
Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicles and Engines
2.Mitigating Black Carbon and Other Pollutants
from Brick Production
3.Mitigating SLCPs from the Municipal Solid
Waste Sector
4.Promoting HFC Alternative Technology and
Standards
5.Accelerating Methane and Black Carbon
Reductions from Oil and Natural Gas
Production
Conclusions
Acting on short-lived climate pollutants ...

Reduces major public health danger & important air pollutant
– black carbon / particulate matter – developing country priority

Slows global warming in near-term by nearly one-half
(not replace CO2 reductions)
Prevents replacements (HFCs) for ozone depleting substances
from becoming a climate change problem
Emission reductions can be cost-effective
Uncertainties remain, but clear public health benefits
Effective to act on all scales: national, regional and global scales.




Reducing short-lived climate pollutants ...
... An important convergence of interests  climate change,
air pollution, ozone depletion
... A big advancement in sustainable development