Why in the News?
The Climate and Clean Air Coalition’s (CCAC) annual meeting, the Climate and Clean Air Conference, recently took place in Nairobi, Kenya.
- The conference was held on the margins of the Sixth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA6).
- The objective of the conference is to highlight ways to further scale up implementation of the Global Methane Pledge, Clean Air Flagship and Kigali Amendment.
Key outcomes of the CCAC Conference 2024:
- Launch of Clean Air Flagship: To save lives and slow climate change by boosting cooperation and reducing pollutant emissions.
- The programme is aimed at supporting governments to achieve cleaner air as quickly as possible, consistent with improved WHO air quality interim targets.
- Used Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDVs) and the Environment’ Report: Launched by the UNEP & the CCAC, outlines a roadmap for reducing sector’s emissions through standardizing, monitoring, and greening strategies.
- CCAC Technology and Economic Assessment Panel: To help close the gap between technologies and finance by focusing on how to overcome barriers to scale up climate finance.
- Launched a major cost of inaction study that supports economic case to act on short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) to limit hazardous global warming and climate disasters.
Climate and Clean Air Coalition:
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What are short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs)?
- They are powerful climate forcers that remain in the atmosphere for a much shorter period of time than carbon dioxide, yet their potential to warm the atmosphere can be many times greater.
Short – Lived Climate Pollutants:
- Black carbon: Also known as soot, is a type of particulate matter emitted from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biomass, and other organic materials. It absorbs sunlight, warming the atmosphere.
- Lifetime in atmosphere: 4-12 days
- Methane: It is a potent greenhouse gas emitted from a variety of sources, including agriculture, waste decomposition, and fossil fuel extraction. Contributes to Global warming.
- Lifetime in atmosphere: 12 years
- Tropospheric ozone: Tropospheric ozone is a harmful air pollutant that forms in the lower atmosphere as a result of chemical reactions involving nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. It is a greenhouse gas and can also harm human health and plants.
- Lifetime in atmosphere: few hours to a few weeks
- Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs): HFCs are synthetic chemicals used as refrigerants, air conditioners, and propellants. They are potent greenhouse gases and have been phased out under the Montreal Protocol.
- Lifetime in atmosphere: 15 years