Voices from the Climate and Clean Air Ministerial 2023

I want to offer three calls to action. First, I call on you to continue your active participation in this Coalition so that we all continue to benefit from this unique platform for collaboration across the Climate and Clean Air communities. Second, I commend the CCAC Secretariat for its work on this agenda and encourage you to be yet more ambitious, yet more bold, really, in the work that you encourage us all to do together. And third, I call on those who are in a position to do so, to dig deeper into their budgets and find a way to increase your financial support to the CCAC. We need to raise $100 million for the CCAC Trust Fund to achieve full implementation of the CCAC 2030 strategy. And we really are grateful for your support and what is a uniquely high leverage public investment in tackling the climate crisis and the public health opportunity at this nexus that we're talking about. I'm confident that we can get the job done together.

Short-lived climate pollutants such as methane, black carbon, tropospheric ozone (O3) and hydrofluorocarbons, which are also major contributors to the human-induced global warming after CO2, are the main sources of air pollution in our countries. The sources of these short-lived climate pollutants are transportation, production and utilisation of biomass, oil and gas, grid industry, agriculture, open burning and the waste management sectors.

We are all united with the common goal of keeping our North Star alive, the 1.5 degrees within reach. And I, as a fellow minister, your colleagues, understand the immense challenge we have in navigating numerous sectors, pollutants, impacts, and potential solutions while determining paths of action tailored to our country's unique conditions, and every country has its own unique conditions. But we all know that the most significant results emerge when we unite. Action is what's required now, and we are here because of tackling the Short-lived Climate Pollutants. They will have a massive near-term impact, and they are the largest contributors to global warming after Carbon Dioxide, responsible for 45% of emissions and some with a direct impact on health and agriculture. Of course, the COP Presidency has integrated SLCP across his priorities, the work on methane. You've seen cooling, pollution and health, agriculture and food, and the task of mobilizing finance are at the top of the agenda.

Reducing emissions from short-lived climate pollutants, including methane, is one of the lowest cost climate mitigation opportunities – it offers immediate climate and health benefits, and is a necessary action to keep the 1.5 degree goal in reach. As a CCAC Board Member, Canada recognizes the work the coalition is doing to drive emissions reductions from short-lived climate pollutants and bring solutions to scale. Canada announced at COP28 its proposed oil and gas methane regulations, which will achieve a 75% emissions reduction by 2030 from 2012 levels. We are also developing regulations that will help reduce emissions from the landfill gas sector by 50% below 2019 levels by 2030. Canada’s well- established track record and expertise can help others lower their methane emissions.

Moldova is a country highly vulnerable to climate change, affecting all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, water issues and public health. In this context, we need to urgently mitigate climate impact through concrete actions, including in recently approved governmental policy. Especially I would like to mention that we approved the National Forest extension and rehabilitation program, and we would like to extend the forest in the Republic of Moldova from 11% to 15%, which is very important for us. Moldova's low emissions development program until 2030 also was approved for which we monitor the achievements of the updated National Determined Contributions, and this is to monitor reducing the greenhouse gas emissions and short-lived climate pollutants with an unconditional target of 70% comparable with 1990 level and a conditional target up to 88% with the support of development partners.

Lebanon is committed and has been committed to the Global Methane Pledge and we're glad to be joining now the CCAC to enhance cooperation on Short-lived Climate Pollutants in order to mainstream actions on air quality and to climate change assessment as well as mitigation measures in line with our work towards the Global Methane Pledge. But I would like first and foremost, and that's of interest to us and many other developing nations, to highlight the importance of targeting emissions from the waste sector. Lebanon, and I would assume other developing nations as well, have been struggling with waste crises. In Lebanon this has been exacerbated by the recent financial and economic crisis that led to the surge of open dumps and compromised proper management of waste sector across the country, thus affecting human health, the environment, the economy, and, of course, the global climate.

Together with CCAC, Brazil intends to establish cooperation, exchange of experiences, and leverage institutional and financial resources to promote an agile and just transition to a development model that emits less, which is capable of adapting to the new climate scenario we are experiencing. As you all know, we are in the process of updating our NDCs aiming at ambitious goals while at the same time feasible within their sectoral areas, integrating air pollution agenda and short-lived climate pollutants, and we count on the support of the CCAC to this end.

We would like to note that the Republic of Kazakhstan had joined the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition is a critical platform for bringing countries together in the face of climate change and air pollution. By joint force, we recognize that our shared responsibility transcends national borders, and we must work together globally to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The Coalition's focus on short-lived climate pollutants, including methane is consistent with our commitment to protecting the environment and protecting our citizens.

“CCAC is supporting Nigeria with the implementation of various measures across the agriculture fossil fuel, household energy and transport sector. This support is well-appreciated, but not enough. And therefore, Nigeria calls on the World Bank, Green Climate Fund, the Global Environmental Facility, Global Methane Pledge and other climate finance organization to open up and increase financial mobilization and support of this critical stage of NDC implementation, if we are to meet 1.5 degrees Centigrade targets. Nigeria has almost concluded the development of our methane roadmap. We welcome the advances in working with the World Bank to scale up technical training services provided by the CCAC through the methane roadmap action programme. We will continue to work committedly as a responsible member of the global community mobilizing resources at all levels and arms of governments and ensuring full involvement of the private sector, nongovernmental organizations and civil society to ensure the attainment of net zero by 2060.”

There is a need to raise awareness among leaders about SLCP impacts on health, ecosystems and environment, and to take decisions on different levels, including on implementation to reduce SLCPs and GHGs, in particular through the deployment of specific measures to reduce methane emissions, mainly in the agriculture and waste sector, among their measures, working with the private sector too to decarbonise. Access to funding mechanisms remains highly complex due to the criteria of funds, and additional sources of financing are needed for SLCPs.

Sweden is a proud founder and member of the CCAC. Ahead of the next round of NDC’s, the CCAC can play a key role in enabling more countries integrating short-lived climate pollutants, not least methane, in their national climate commitments. We look forward to continue working with the CCAC and partners to further action on short-lived climate pollutants in this critical decade.

With our contribution to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, we will assist countries in setting up the necessary regulatory frameworks for the oil and gas industry. The industry needs to adopt rigorous monitoring standards, like level five of the Oil and Gas Methane Partnerships 2.0. Routine flaring and venting can and must be reduced massively within the next few years, and the global moratorium could be a way ahead. A second major source of methane is the waste sector. Germany, represented by our Federal Environment Agency, we have for many years been very active in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition's Waste Hub. Germany can look back at a successful way of tackling the methane emissions in the waste sector by introducing a complete ban on organic landfills 20 years ago, we made it compulsory to capture all landfill gas. When biogenic waste is not treated properly and ends up in landfills. We are not only emitting dangerous methane, but we waste precious energy and fertiliser resources, which we could employ and thereby also reduce fossil fuels. With our contribution to CCAC, we intend to deepen and widen our engagement, also in the waste sector, and we are looking forward to continuing our successful cooperation with everyone around this table and everyone else who wants to join.

The DRC is fully committed to reducing methane emissions. To this end, the country is currently engaged in the development of a methane roadmap that should focus on the following points: projecting emission patterns in two key areas, agriculture and waste, with national institutions, in order to identify and assess the main methane emissions sources; working with all the players responsible for emitting sources and methodologies developing the modalities for implementing key measures to mitigate methane emissions; by identifying how to reduce SLCPs we can also take into account people’s health and reduce exposure to pollution.

We celebrate the CCAC’s new role as Secretariat to the Methane Pledge. And we would like to see the institution build out so that it can be fully effective in this role. CCAC needs to remain independent and nimble so it can act fast, but it also needs the resources to work quickly with all countries to ramp up action this decade. We need to be serious and swift in mapping out methane mitigation, with clear targets, strong regulatory approach, and the financial resources to get us there. CCAC is among the most important climate organisations in the world—slamming the breaks on methane, HFCs/cooling, and other non-CO2 before these gases and the climate system speed out of control. The climate crisis is a runaway train careening toward a terrifying future. To get out ahead of it and get it under control, we need to be a bullet train run on clean energy with clear destinations. – Cut methane, clean our air, build economies and resilience. Let us pick up our own speed to ACT, UNITE, and DELIVER.

The climate and air pollution problem is an emergency for us and many other vulnerable developing countries and we know by experience the need to act urgently to move from ambition and promises to decisive and effective action and solutions. This is why we continue to engage and work with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition because we know that this Coalition is all about fast action, quick results and multiple benefits. We believe that since the creation this Coalition, we the members have made important achievements together such as the Kigali amendment, the global recognition of the air pollution problem. And recently, the increased recognition in the importance of addressing methane alongside carbon dioxide, including support for countries.

Air pollution is a problem for all African countries, and for West Africa in particular. In Côte d'Ivoire, we had the support of the Secretariat to develop our SLCP management and reduction plan. It was very inspiring for us, and we revised it in 2022. We were able to take into account the waste sector and see which SLCPs we could act on. But when we talk about human health, one issue concerns us: if we're not healthy, we can't do anything. One issue linked to climate change is the question of health, which is why we are working with the WHO and other partners to set up a system for monitoring air pollution in Côte d'Ivoire. For methane, we have also joined the GMP, and have the first results in the waste, agriculture and oil & gas sectors. We can go further in assessing methane, particularly in terms of the barriers and costs involved in implementing measures. Thank you to the CCAC, and together we can go further - and like the other African countries here today, we're asking for more financial support.

We've been talking about that e-cooking strategy. We are very, very aggressive in making sure that we will reduce the cutting down of trees in search of firewood and charcoal by introducing electric cooking. We introduced a special tariff that will encourage people to use electricity for cooking. And I want to appreciate the support from CCAC that has been given to Uganda to make sure that we come up with a strategy that is going to help us implement our electric cooking facility. Uganda is a cattle-keeping country, we are coming up with a project that will see the Uganda Dairy Development Authority turn the animal droppings cut down into biogas. This is going to help us reduce methane, and we hope that we will continue working with everybody to make sure that we transit from darkness to light or from using biomass for cooking at least to electricity and LPG.

Monaco is committed to respecting the guidelines of the World Health Organization and to align its 2030 Climate and Energy Plan accordingly. Ambitious measures are hence taken in terms of mobility, waste treatment and building energy efficiency. Allow me to welcome the launch of the Coalition's new flagship on clean air. To guarantee a future for our planet and our communities, it is imperative that we collectively take bold political action in the face of the urgency for action. Reducing short-lived climate pollutants is no longer just an option, it has become an unavoidable necessity.

Climate change is already happening at a faster rate in polar regions. The warming of the Arctic could be the weakest link in safeguarding our common climate. In fact, it might affect climate and weather systems all over the globe. Reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants is our best chance to reduce such warming the next decade. As we know, cutting SLCPs will reduce the likelihood of crossing Arctic climate tipping points, such as melting sea ice, and thawing permafrost events which again, could accelerate climate change globally. In other words, we need to preserve the Arctic as the world's air conditioner. Norway will work to accelerate fast climate action by prioritizing work on black carbon and methane in our current chairing of the Arctic Council. The Arctic states are committed to work nationally and collectively to reduce black carbon and methane emissions. We have a collective goal to reduce black carbon emissions by 25 to 33 per cent, relative to 2013 levels by 2025. And we'll explore a possible new collective goal as well as ways to encourage reductions in methane emissions. To be truly successful, we are however dependent on global collaboration, such as the Global Methane Pledge, but also that action is taken on black carbon, particularly in areas covered in snow and ice. We look forward to continuing working together with the CCAC on this. We also hope the Clean Air Flagship might be a good opportunity to highlight action on black carbon. Emission reductions is particularly needed in ice covered regions such as the Arctic and mountain ranges as the Himalayas and the Andes. 

Climate change is already happening at a faster rate in polar regions. The warming of the Arctic could be the weakest link in safeguarding our common climate. It might in fact affect climate and weather systems all over the globe. Reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants is our best chance to reduce such warming the next decade.

We would like to note that the Republic of Kazakhstan had joined the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition is a critical platform for bringing countries together in the face of climate change and air pollution. By joint force, we recognize that our shared responsibility transcends national borders, and we must work together globally to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The Coalition's focus on short-lived climate pollutants, including methane is consistent with our commitment to protecting the environment and protecting our citizens.

Malawi is committed to contribute to the global fight against short-lived climate pollutants and this is reflected by our joining of this Coalition this year in 2023. As the Government of Malawi, we are pleased that the CCAC Board recently approved Malawi’s EOI for development of a National Implementation Action Plan and Methane Road map to mitigate SLCP. When developed, the plan will be a strategic approach roadmap that will outline Malawi’s approach to addressing and reducing SCLP emissions such as methane, black carbon and hydroflourocarbons. We are confident that the Plan will also unlock more opportunities for funding and support, while maintaining CCAC as the main partner in implementation of this plan. Let me assure you that Malawi is very committed to support this initiative, and we are geared to contribute to its full and effective implementation, monitoring and reporting with clear indicators for health and environment. In this regard, we are requesting for further support to implement actionable projects to mitigate SLCPs in order to promote human health and the environment through the provision of clean air. As a country, we support this coalition and we are committed to this Coalition.

It is important to mention that we created the Technical and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) and other methane initiatives. The TEAP on methane is essential to the rapid implementation of the many methane pledges made at the COP. Now is the time to establish a transparent and accessible financial mechanism inspired by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, which will strengthen the CCAC and facilitate the implementation of the GMP. The CCAC is now the keeper of the promise. The only global group capable of ensuring that many promises are kept on time, to keep us on course for 1.5 degrees of warming. Finally, we hope that this is the starting point for concrete actions to reduce methane emissions that are not based only on voluntary measures, but on mandatory steps.

Air pollution is a problem for all African countries, and for West Africa in particular. In Côte d'Ivoire, we had the support of the Secretariat to develop our SLCP management and reduction plan. It was very inspiring for us, and we revised it in 2022. We were able to take into account the waste sector and see which SLCPs we could act on. But when we talk about human health, one issue concerns us: if we're not healthy, we can't do anything. One issue linked to climate change is the question of health, which is why we are working with the WHO and other partners to set up a system for monitoring air pollution in Côte d'Ivoire. For methane, we have also joined the GMP, and have the first results in the waste, agriculture and oil & gas sectors. We can go further in assessing methane, particularly in terms of the barriers and costs involved in implementing measures. Thank you to the CCAC, and together we can go further - and like the other African countries here today, we're asking for more financial support.

In the Republic of Guinea, we are currently strengthening our NDC to ensure more ambitious and achievable targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, committing to a 69% reduction in terms of targets.

Malawi is committed to contribute to the global fight against short-lived climate pollutants and this is reflected by our joining of this Coalition this year in 2023. As the Government of Malawi, we are pleased that the CCAC Board recently approved Malawi’s EOI for development of a National Implementation Action Plan and Methane Road map to mitigate SLCP. When developed, the plan will be a strategic approach roadmap that will outline Malawi’s approach to addressing and reducing SCLP emissions such as methane, black carbon and hydroflourocarbons. We are confident that the Plan will also unlock more opportunities for funding and support, while maintaining CCAC as the main partner in implementation of this plan. Let me assure you that Malawi is very committed to support this initiative, and we are geared to contribute to its full and effective implementation, monitoring and reporting with clear indicators for health and environment. In this regard, we are requesting for further support to implement actionable projects to mitigate SLCPs in order to promote human health and the environment through the provision of clean air. As a country, we support this coalition and we are committed to this Coalition.

The issues of Short-lived Climate Pollutants needs to be addressed at the national level and international levels in order to mitigate its effect on human, climate, health, agriculture and ecosystems. Maldives in our efforts to address the issue in hand, has approved four projects of the CCAC to support national action plan on SLCPs with specific focus on waste, transport, cooling, and low emission analysis platform (LEAP), which focuses on assessment on short lived climate pollutants and air pollution mitigation. This project aims to strengthen the SLCP planning, implementation and data collection of the specific areas. We in the Maldives are working to develop a national air pollution inventory under the LEAP project approved by CCAC. Moreover, we are working on preparing guidelines for collecting data for transport gap GHG in energy and tool development for emission on short lived climate pollutants in the waste sector.

Japan would like to accelerate actions on hydrofluorocarbons’ life cycle management and on methane emission reduction from waste sector through international cooperation. Sustainable cooling plays a crucial role to address the climate crisis and simultaneously we cannot overlook the increasing volume of hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants in the cooling sector, such as air conditioners and refrigerators. In April this year, the G7 confirmed the importance of advancing the proper life cycle management of hydrofluorocarbons. We need to take actions to control and reduce hydrofluorocarbon emissions throughout their lifecycle, including leakage in use and discharge into the air at disposal. Japan is ready to contribute to such activities in cooperation with CCAC. Japan joined the Global Methane Pledge in 2021. Japan will work together with developing countries especially in Asia Pacific and Africa to introduce practical and effective landfill management methods (Fukuoka Method) in cooperation with ADB and UNIDO.

Pakistan has partnered with CCAC and developed its first ever short-lived climate pollutant inventory, which has facilitated developing our National Clean Air Policy, that includes five targeted interventions. We have defined the intervention for our waste sector, for low-emission cooking devices, and for our transport, agriculture and industrial sectors. Pakistan signed the Global Methane Pledge in 2021 and with the support of CCAC is currently developing the methane roadmap that will identify a few pilots. Currently, we are envisaging that landfill gas recovery for the waste sector and cookstoves will be prioritised as pilots.

“We're working with partners in Rwanda to establish the Africa Centre of Excellence for sustainable cooling and cold chain to help keep people fed and to save lives, and bringing that approach to India. This is increasingly important because cooling accounts for about 10% of global emissions, and replacing climate polluting refrigerants alongside improving the energy efficiency of cooling could save up to a degree of warming by 2100.

We must also take action to tackle harmful methane emissions and we welcome that this has been prioritised at COP and the progress being made to deliver on the Global Methane Pledge. Alongside domestic action, we recognise there is an urgent need to support governments and industry internationally to reduce methane emissions, particularly in high-emitting lower-income regions, which is why we have contributed £2m to the Methane Finance Sprint.

I want to welcome the new Clean Air Flagship that the UK is proud to support. We stand ready to help the new flagship through the forum for International Cooperation on Air Pollution, which we co-chair alongside our friends in Sweden as part of our new strategic partnership agreement recently signed by our prime ministers.”

Air pollution now contributes to over 8 million deaths every year. Unfortunately unlike many other health risks, the impact of air pollution is getting worse. Premature deaths from air pollution are forecast to double by 2050. This COP has made the landmark, and overdue move, of addressing the health impacts of climate change with the first ever Health Day. We know that phasing out the burning of fossil fuels is essential to unlock the enormous co-benefits of clean air. Reducing air pollution emissions is the fastest way to reduce the health impacts of climate change. Yet our research at the Clean Air fund has shown that only 1% of international development funding and 2% of international public climate finance was committed to targeting air pollution over the six years up to 2021. That’s why it’s so crucial that the CCAC continues to drive action on cleaning our air. We are delighted to see the launch of the CCAC’s Clean Air Flagship which will help to address this neglected issue. We at Clean Air Fund stand ready to support the flagship, and call on ministers to do the same.

“Currently the vast majority of signatories of the Global Methane Pledge are developing countries, . For them to able to be able to deliver on their commitment, developing countries need to have access to stable and predictable funding to invest in enabling activities. The CCAC plays a pivotal role in channeling financial assistance and support projects to monitor and mitigate methane emission. However, current approach to funding remains fragmented. The funding currently available to developing countries are project based and unpredictable. This hinders the stability needed to develop long term strategies for the successful implementation of the global method pledge. A few days ago was announced that $1 billion has been raised to support action on methane. It is however, not yet known how these funds will be allocated and on which timeframe. In order to ensure that this funding is used effectively, financial assistance needs to be delivered within a comprehensive framework by the dedicated fund designed for the purpose of implementing the GMP. This fund should have a clear mandate with well-defined timelines extending through 2030. Donor countries should take the lead in developing this dedicated fund for methane supported by philanthropies and multilateral development bank. Thanks to a clear financial mechanism, developing countries will have the possibility to invest in all enabling activities. necessary in the long term, and move from pledge to action.”

As a Board Member of the CCAC, FAO is an active stakeholder in the Coalition's Agriculture Hub and is open to enhancing collaboration with this network through the FAO Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST) Partnership. An accessible, multi-stakeholder Partnership, FAST emphasizes collective action and commitment to catalyze and accelerate quality climate finance for transformative agrifood systems, tackling the climate crisis head on through collaboration. Sharing common goals, a collaboration between the CCAC Agriculture Hub and FAST Partnership could boost the collective efforts required to find strategic solutions to address the complex climate challenges that humanity faces.

This year for the first time ever we have a health day the reason why for us the global health community was extremely important to have these health days because we wanted to increase the speed in the reaction to climate change and air pollution and the level of ambition. And I think what we are achieving here today through CCAC is extremely important for the global health indicators' inaction. We are very strong collaborators of the CCAC and at WHO, we will like to continue to that. And of course we are extremely pleased to see the flagship on Air quality and Health is mentioned everywhere that air pollution is costing us trillions and trillions, that the real price of air pollution is paid by our lungs and our health. So we will love to see health-related indicators in the negotiations as proof that we are advancing, and I think what is happening here at the CCAC on supporting as well the global conference on air pollution that WHO is organizing this year is extremely important.

When the Kigali Amendment was launched, Philanthropy came together to support the implementation to the Clean Cooling Initiative when the Global Methane Pledge was launched, the Global Methane Hub was created to help support the implementation and this year with SLCPs and in relation to the Sunnylands Statement, Philanthropy has committed 450 million USD for the development of SLCP related NDCs. I'd like to congratulate the UAE also for supporting this, US, China, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico all who have either planned to or have included all short-lived climate pollutants in their mitigation plans. If we do so, we will reduce warming four times as fast as decarbonization alone and will prevent 60% of all the air pollution impacts that we see today. There is no net zero without clean air. And also we have launched the Enteric Fermentation Research and Development Accelerator which will help reduce the cost of implementation and mitigation because this is a development challenge, and there is no methane mitigation without development being priority.

With the required CO2 emissions reductions to deliver on the Paris Agreement objective off-track worldwide, no government can afford to neglect action on short-lived climate pollutants – for climate, health and ecosystems. The amended Gothenburg Protocol under the UNECE Air Convention is the only international legally-binding agreement to tackle short-lived climate pollutants including black carbon – some 680 times more heat trapping than CO2 – and key ground-level ozone precursors (nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds). I call on Europe and North America to further strengthen efforts in this area, and encourage leaders in all world regions to take cooperative action now.

In the path to net-zero, much more detailed, accurate, timely, and actionable data on greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes is critically needed. By the time of the second global stocktake, the new Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (GGGW) operational system will be providing, with minimal delay and on a routine basis, monthly net GHG flux information at a grid of 1 degree by 1 degree for the entire world.

We've been providing support to projects that reduce methane emissions for several decades and we became a formal supporter of the Global Methane Pledge since its very launch in Glasgow. We are supporting our partners from the public and the private sector in implementing methane emissions reductions in agriculture, solid waste and wastewater sectors. And last year alone, some EUR 1.8 billion went into methane emissions reductions. Additionally we are prioritising reductions in Black Carbon and other air pollution through our large portfolio of solid waste management projects. The potential for SLCP reduction is significant and there's a solid business case, and I look forward to strengthening our partnerships and supporting these investments cases together.

The North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation is one of the newest members of the CCAC. The three countries that we represent, the United States, Canada and Mexico, are three of the six founding Member States. We are honored to work alongside the CCAC partners on reducing the most potent climate pollutants to keep the world on the 1.5C pathway. Going forward from COP28, we encourage partners to leverage their short-lived climate pollutant reductions to promote meaningful engagement with Indigenous Peoples and traditional ecological knowledge solutions, and to advance equitable solutions that help revert historical environmental injustices and actions that promote biodiversity protection and nature-based solutions that can help build back nature and strengthen biodiversity, helping communities adapt to climate change. We encourage SLCP reductions to also engage youth and consider other intersectional issues and vulnerable groups in those actions.

We are the last generation that can do something now to keep warming below the 1.5 C guardrail and keep the planet livable for current and future generations. And we know, thanks in large part to the CCAC, this requires fast action to cut methane and other super climate pollutants. So it's really encouraging to see the attention that methane and other super pollutants have received at COP this year. Now these pledges must be implemented as quickly as possible to achieve the full climate benefits. Youth are unequivocal in our demands. We want to move beyond voluntary pledges towards binding commitment and concrete action. We no longer believe that the climate emergency can be solved with voluntary measures and empty promises. Like the minister from Fiji said, we need less talk and more action. Implementation is the heart of the CCAC’s mission to cut super climate pollutants, and it's encouraging to see how the CCAC has evolved in the past couple of years. And I want to recognize its potential with more funding. As the Minister for Micronesia said, the CCAC is the most important organization that can ensure fast implementation of these promises. We need heads of state to continue to lead action on methane and super pollutants to develop a binding global methane agreement to immediately reduce near term warming and give us a chance to keep warming under 1.5 degrees. We have made this one of our key demands in this year's Global Youth Statement where we present in detail our demands to achieve intergenerational climate justice. We must listen to the youth, small island states, frontline communities, grassroots movements, and encourage everyone in this room to utilize the strong potential of the CCAC so we can secure a safe and sustainable planet for all.

We congratulate the Climate and Clean Air Coalition for being instrumental in putting methane so firmly at the center of the global climate agenda, WRI looks forward to supporting the Clean Air flagship, to do the same for air quality and integrated climate and clean air action. We would like to emphasize three important factors for your consideration. The first multi-level governance is going to be critical to scaling up integrated solutions to air pollution. Cities and lower middle-income countries are at the epicenter of the air pollution crisis. The push for cleaner solutions should therefore recognize the important role that sub national governments play in tackling air pollution. Two, most cities you know in low and middle income countries lack understanding of the primary and secondary drivers of poor air quality due to lack of access to data and air quality monitoring. We need greater investment in measuring and forecasting equality to both raise awareness of air pollution and flexibly target interventions. And thirdly, women are disproportionately affected by air pollution. We need to prioritize and promote clean air solutions that have gender and equity benefits and if our women as change as catalysts for change.

The Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) – formerly IASS – has been working with CCAC for many years, including on understanding and mitigating methane emissions. Methane is finally in the spotlight, but its multi-source complexity requires a nuanced approach that includes science, technology and policy. Neglecting known sources, such as dairy farms, is a luxury we cannot afford: to reduce methane emissions, we in the developed world would also have to substantially reduce our consumption of meat and dairy products. As politically challenging as this may be, if we don't get methane – and CO2 and other climate forcers – under control, the challenges of adaptation and loss and damage will continue to increase, especially in vulnerable regions, such as mountain regions. In this context, I'm pleased to share that our RIFS colleague, Dr. Maheswar Rupakheti, can help build these bridges in his new role as IPCC WGI Vice Chair representing Nepal.

I am heartened by the plethora of action and funds announced at this year’s COP. Over $1 billion in new catalytic grant aide for methane mitigation, focused initiatives to tackle waste, agriculture and energy sector methane emissions. At the heart of it all is the CCAC. And with the launch of the Global Methane Pledge the CCAC has stepped in to provide structure and facilitate action. I’m very excited that the CCAC is now providing much needed secretarial services for the GMP, supporting countries with the development of their methane action plans, and this year’s funding cycle for country support is the largest in the history of the CCAC. With all the money raised, the new commitments and new partners, CCAC’s importance for the coming years is only reinforced. While we have achieved much, we must move from pledge to action, from fundraising to project implementation, and from an ever warming world to one that finally sees a true success story in our fight against climate change.

The linear approach is exhausted, and a paradigm shift is required to reposition the waste and resources management sector as a central partner to enable a more circular and low carbon system. Tackling the world's waste crisis is a global responsibility. We urgently call on global leaders to integrate sound waste and resource management into climate action plans, to tackle GHG emissions, specially methane, fostering progress across a broad spectrum of Sustainable Development Goals and addressing the Triple Planetary Crisis. The time for action is now.

Clean air has become a luxury in the world fraught with climate change. In India, toxic haze is engulfing the Indian cities, including the capital, for days every winter. Air pollutants, including greenhouse gases, today, are impacting not just the public health but also our global ecosystems and climate. I feel the time has come to make an urgent switch to renewable sources of energy rather than depending only on coal-based options. We are in the midst of a serious climate crisis, and we can combat it only with awareness, individual accountability, and aggressive implementation of green and sustainable solutions.

As host of COP30 in 2025, Brazil is in a position to lead by example on climate action and ambition. The commitment of the Brazilian government to zeroing deforestation up to 2030 is very welcome, pointing to a trajectory of cutting 60% of the country's CO2 emissions. Nonetheless, there are no clear plans for tackling pollution from fuel combustion and industrial processes. These sources are responsible for major health hazards upon the mostly urban population. The environmental management systems are currently largely insufficient such as the lack of guidance for dimensioning a national air quality monitoring network and the lack of a criteria pollutants emissions inventory. These are fundamental pieces that need to be created so that sound actions can be designed and implemented in order to reduce SLCPs and pursue the WHO's air quality guidelines.

Air pollution is the fourth leading cause of death globally. Cleaning up our air is deeply tied to slowing climate change and this flagship is a win-win to advance emission reductions to gain near-term health benefits. As we move forward, EDF stands ready to actively participate in the Clean Air Flagship's initiatives, leveraging our expertise and global network to contribute to its success. The launch of this Flagship marks a pivotal moment in our collective efforts to prioritize clean air, improve public health, and address climate change. We look forward to sustained collaboration and impactful outcomes.

The climate crisis will not be solved without clean cooking. With half of manmade black carbon coming from household fuel use governments must ensure clean cooking is prioritized as a critical climate solution while delivering the funding necessary to deliver clean cooking for all.

AirQo is delighted to be part of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition as a full non-state partner, to contribute towards advancing global efforts on tackling climate and air pollution. Since 2015, we have been championing Africa-led efforts on air quality action through building contextual technology solutions for air quality monitoring, while working with stakeholders to raise awareness and co-creating a scalable model for science-policy interfaces. We have developed a robust data infrastructure enabling access to air quality data in over 16 African cities through 200+ low-cost sensors, potentially reaching 60+ million people. We champion multi-stakeholder partnerships for action and have directly supported over eight policy mainstreaming outputs including regulations, standards, and city air quality action plans, and provide air quality information to over 2 million people monthly. Through our two-pronged mission, we remain committed to supporting the CCAC aspirations by democratising climate reporting and monitoring, and strengthening regional networks in Africa through the CLEAN-Air Network.

Action on Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) is critical to meeting global climate goals. As a global poverty and inequality organization, Oxfam is particularly concerned by the unique impacts of SLCPs on communities’ health, safety, and food security, alongside the threats posed to them by broader climate impacts. Communities living in poverty around the world are disproportionately on the frontlines of the climate crisis even as they have done the least to cause it. Oxfam’s flagship Climate and Inequality Report makes clear that the wealthiest 1% contribute as much emissions as the poorest two-thirds of humanity. Combatting the climate crisis means combatting inequality. We applaud the Climate and Clean Air Coalition’s (CCAC) efforts to address climate and inequality. Its new role providing Secretariat services to the Global Methane Pledge is an important step toward increased coordination and ambition on methane. It is critical that states meaningfully engage frontline communities and civil society as they develop Methane Action Plans and incorporate methane mitigation measures into their 2025 updated National Determined Contributions (NDCs). Such engagement not only bolsters transparency and shifts power, but leads to better policies that truly address the needs of communities most impacted by methane pollution. Women and marginalized genders are among those most impacted. We welcome the CCAC’s Gender Strategy and opportunities to contribute to its successful implementation. Communities on the frontlines of SLCP pollution face incredible health burdens, shouldered by unpaid and underpaid care workers. Oxfam is dedicated to advancing climate justice in a way that strengthens the care economy, in partnership with feminist, women’s rights, and frontline organizations. SLCP mitigation must happen in concert with a full, fair, fast, funded fossil fuel phase out. To meet the urgency of this moment, we need to move past voluntary commitments, make rich polluters pay, and facilitate a just energy transition toward a livable future for all.