Cutting levels of soot and other short-lived pollutants delivers tangible benefits and helps governments to build confidence that collective action on climate change is feasible. After the Paris climate meeting this December, actually reducing these pollutants will be essential to the credibility of the diplomatic process. (Opinion)
Fast action under the Montreal Protocol can limit growth of HFCs, prevent 100 to 200 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions by 2050, and avoid up to 0.5°C of warming by 2100.
Slowing the rate of global warming over the near term by cutting short-lived climate pollutants to complement carbon dioxide reductions for the long term. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are responsible for 55-60% of anthropogenic radiative forcing. Fast and aggressive CO2 mitigation is essential to combat the resulting climate change.
Fast action under the Montreal Protocol can limit growth of HFCs, prevent up to 100 billion tonnes of CO2-eq emissions by 2050, and avoid up to 0.5°C of warming by 2100.
Current emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs)
have already committed the planet to an increase in average
surface temperature by the end of the century that may be above
the critical threshold for tipping elements of the climate system
into abrupt change with potentially irreversible and unmanageable
consequences. This would mean that the climate system is
