Contributing to the Global Goals

How actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants support the 2030 agenda and contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals address diverse human and planetary challenges. Achieving these goals by 2030 will require coordinated actions on many fronts.

One such action is the mitigation of short-lived climate pollutants like methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), black carbon, and tropospheric ozone, due to their climate-warming and air-polluting properties.

Actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants produce multiple near-term benefits, including improved human health and reduced vulnerability, economic growth and innovation, and slowed near-term warming.

The Global Goals

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.

At its heart are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership.

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition's work to reduce short-lived climate pollutants will produce quick benefits that support the success of many Sustainable Development Goals. Here's how:

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Mitigating short-lived climate pollutant emissions, in particular tropospheric ozone, can help prevent the loss of 52 million tonnes of four staple crops - maize, rice, soybean and wheat - and contribute to increased agricultural productivity and sustainable food production systems.

Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Reducing short-lived climate pollutants can prevent 2.4 million premature deaths each year. Diets that conform to World Health Organisation guidelines can reduce short-lived climate pollutant emissions as well as improve health.

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Air pollution from cooking, heating, and lighting with biomass and fossil fuels disproportionately affects women and small children. Actions to address household air pollution reduce household fuel costs, support access to education, and provide women opportunities to generate income through local entrepreneurship.

Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Untreated wastewater is a significant source of methane emissions. Capturing methane by upgrading primary wastewater treatment to secondary and tertiary treatment with gas recovery and overflow control can reduce many of the impacts associated with methane emissions, while producing natural gas for energy thereby also contributing to Goal 7. Mitigating short-lived climate pollutants, in particular black carbon, can help regulate the hydrological cycle and address water availability.

Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

The introduction of clean-burning biomass stoves for cooking and heating, and stoves using electricity generated from renewable or low carbon sources can help ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy. Short-lived climate pollutant reduction actions can also contribute to improved energy efficiency and vice versa, thereby also reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Many short-lived climate pollutant reduction measures promote high-efficiency technologies and practices and support the target of decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation. The replacement of traditional biomass cooking and heating stoves with more efficient alternatives can improve resource efficiency, which can reduce deforestation by reducing or eliminating biomass fuel demand. It can also lower consumer costs by reducing fuel use and emissions per unit of energy.

Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

Short-lived climate pollutant reduction measures can contribute to upgrading infrastructure and retrofitting industries. For example, replacing traditional brick kilns and coke ovens with modern technologies, results in the adoption of cleaner, more energy efficient technologies. Introducing low Global Warming potential alternatives to HFC can foster innovation as companies compete to produce better products.

Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Measures to reduce fugitive methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, from coal mines, farms, and municipal solid waste directly contribute to Target 12.4 to achieve environmentally sound management and minimize adverse impacts on human health and the environment (Goals 2 and 3). Municipal solid waste measures, including separation and treatment of biodegradable waste, supports Target 12.5 through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Many short-lived climate pollutant reduction measures have the potential to provide affordable, clean energy to deprived households for cooking and lighting purposes. Policies to reduce SLCPs through the elimination of high-emitting vehicles and soot free rapid transit public transport can foster support for safe, accessible travel in cities.

Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Short-lived climate pollutant mitigation can help slow down the rate of global warming in the near-term. If quick action is taken to reduce CO2 emissions alongside SLCPs, there is an increased chance of keeping the global temperature increase to 2°C or less during the 21st century.

Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition is the only global effort that unites governments, civil society and private sector, committed to improving air quality and protecting the climate in the next few decades through SLCP reductions. It acts as a catalyst to implement and share immediate solutions addressing near-term climate change to improve people’s lives rapidly, and to ensure sustainable development for future generations.