The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)

In the '“Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone” of UNEP and WMO, IIASA identified 16 practical measures that would improve human health, secure crop yields and, at the same time, reduce global temperature increase in the near-term by up to 0.5 degrees.

To initiate concrete action on these measures, US State Secretary Hillary Clinton launched a 'Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants' in February 2012,  complementing efforts on CO2 emissions taken by countries under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. By early 2018, the Coalition was joined by more than 50 countries and more than 60 non-state partners.

Pollutants that are short-lived in the atmosphere such as black carbon, methane and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are responsible for a substantial fraction of current global warming with particularly large impacts in urban areas and sensitive regions of the world like the Arctic, and have harmful health and environmental impacts. Addressing these short lived climate pollutants can have immediate, multiple benefits. Reducing them will protect human health and the environment now and slow the rate of climate change within the first half of this century.

The 'Climate and Clean Air Coalition' catalyzes rapid reductions in harmful pollutants to protect human health and the environment now, and slow the rate of climate change within the first half of this century. 

The Coalition focuses on methane, black carbon, and HFCs. At the same time, Partners recognize that action on Short lived climate pollutants must complement and supplement, not replace, global action to reduce carbon dioxide, in particular efforts under the UNFCCC.

IIASA contributions

  • In the seminal assessment of black carbon and tropospheric ozone of UNEP and WHO, IIASA identifying the 16 measures that could lead to immediate health and vegetation benefits while slowing down global temperature increase. The findings of this assessment sparked the formation of CCAC. 
  • Since its inception, Markus Amann serves as a member of Scientific Advisory Panel of the CCAC, which is responsible for keeping the Coalition abreast of new science development on short lived climate pollutants, answer specific questions of the Coalition and inform policy discussions. 
  • IIASA participated in the UNEP /CCAC Integrated Assessment of Short-lived Climate Pollutants in Latin America and the Caribbean, and explored the scope for local actions and benefits in this region.
  • In the forthcoming UNEP/CCAC assessment on Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific: Science-based Solutions, IIASA employed its GAINS model to identify the top 25 clean air measures that would reduce air pollution, benefit human health and the environment with regard to food security, air, water and soil quality, biodiversity and climate, while helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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Last edited: 14 September 2018

CONTACT DETAILS

Zbigniew Klimont

Research Group Leader and Principal Research Scholar Pollution Management Research Group - Energy, Climate, and Environment Program

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Phone: (+43 2236) 807 0 Fax:(+43 2236) 71 313