WHAT ABOUT SUPER POLLUTANTS? A quick fix or an overlooked threat?

About this episode

This episode discusses the impact of super pollutants on climate change and explores strategies for reducing their emissions.

Although we often focus on carbon dioxide, a group of powerful pollutants is also driving a large share of today’s warming… In this episode, James and Daisy talk about super pollutants. Why are they important? Why are they worse for the climate? How can we reduce their use? SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: The Global Methane Pledge (GMP) – Launched at COP26 by the EU and the US, the GMP now has 160 participants who agree to take voluntary actions to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030, potentially eliminating over 0.2ºC warming by 2050. Methane has caused 30% of warming since the Industrial Revolution. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) – A voluntary partnership of over 200 governments, intergovernmental organizations, businesses, scientific institutions and civil society organizations committed to protecting the climate and improving air quality by reducing short-lived super pollutants (methane, black carbon, tropospheric ozone and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)). The CCAC drives efforts to implement known practices and existing technologies that can achieve global reductions of at least 40% of methane by 2030 (vs 2010); 70% of black carbon by 2030…

People in this episode

Hosts: James Cameron, Daisy Nicholls

Topics covered

• super pollutants
• climate change
• methane emissions
• air quality
• environmental policy

Keywords

• super pollutants
• methane
• climate change
• air quality
• Global Methane Pledge
• Climate and Clean Air Coalition
• HFCs
• black carbon
• tropospheric ozone

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Global Methane Pledge, Climate and Clean Air Coalition, UNEP, Montreal Protocol

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