Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC) UNFCCC side event

Wednesday June 12 18:30-20:00
RAIL, Ministry of Transport

Speakers
Dan McDougall, Environment Canada
Markus Amann, CCAC Scientific Advisory Panel
Marina Maiero, World Health Organization
Mark Manis, United States Department of Agriculture
Felicity Creighton Spors, World Bank
Nurul Quadir, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Bangladesh
Mark Radka, United Nations Environment Programme
Terri Wills, C40
Moderator: Kaveh Zahedi, Interim Head of CCAC Secretariat

Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), such as black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone and some hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) have detrimental impacts on climate, human health, agriculture and ecosystems. Fast action to reduce SLCPs has the potential to achieve multiple benefits. Rapidly reducing methane and black carbon could prevent over two million premature deaths and avoid annual crop losses of over 30 million tons annually. It could also slow down the warming expected by 2050 by about 0.5°C, almost halving projected near-term warming. Mitigating emissions of HFCs could augment this global mitigation potential. Reducing SLCPs is also likely to contribute enhanced local climate benefits in many vulnerable regions, such as elevated snow and ice-covered regions, and to reduce regional disruption of rainfall patterns. Actions to reduce SLCPs must be complemented by immediate deep and persistent cuts in carbon dioxide emissions if temperature increases over the 21st century are to be held below 2°C. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC) has launched nine initiatives to catalyze action to reduce SLCPs, and the first activities funded by the Coalition are underway. Representatives from Partners of the CCAC will share progress to date on initiatives to reduce black carbon and methane from municipal solid waste and heavy duty diesel vehicles and engines, and discuss ways to further mainstream SLCP mitigation in the agriculture and health sectors.