World Resources Institute joins the Climate and Clean Air Coalition

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is the latest non-governmental organization to join the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to reduce short-lived climate pollutants.  

Short-lived climate pollutants, which include methane, black carbon, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are many times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming our atmosphere. Some are also dangerous air pollutants that cause millions of premature deaths and chronic illness every year. Their short lifespan in the atmosphere (from weeks to decades) means actions to reduce them can quickly improve air quality, reduce warming, and help achieve global climate and sustainable development goals.

WRI will support Coalition partners deliver stronger emission reduction pledges to the Paris Agreement, along with accompanying long-term economic and social benefits, through more effective reduction of SLCPs.

In joining the Coalition, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute Andrew Steer said: “Short-lived pollutants are dangerous, misunderstood and too often neglected. Yet they have caused more than half of the human-caused global warming in modern times. The CCAC is doing superb work in accelerating action, and WRI is delighted to join this successful Coalition. Our 700 experts, working in 50 countries will work to advance this agenda, and we will use our leadership roles in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the NDC Partnership and the New Climate Economy to make the case for accelerated action.”

WRI plans to focus on three areas:

• Increase understanding of the importance of reducing powerful climate forcers like methane, hydrofluorocarbons, black carbon and tropospheric ozone to support the Paris Agreement goal of limiting the global temperature rise to below 1.5–2°C by 2100.
• Share objective analysis and global expertise to support countries that want to include targets, policies, and actions on SLCPs in enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement.
• Highlight the impact of SLCPs on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Helena Molin Valdés, Head of the UN Environment-hosted Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat, welcomed WRI to the Coalition, saying it had a lot to offer partners and will help support meaningful action to reduce short-lived climate pollutants.

“Since its inception in 1982, WRI has built a reputation for delivering impacts based on objective evidence and high-quality analysis – a base from which it can build on for greater impact in the future. WRI has a record of developing innovative partnerships with businesses, national and city leaders, financers, and community advocates to develop powerful solutions. The Coalition partners look forward to working together on enhancing capacities to implement the Nationally Determined Contributions with added ambition on addressing short-lived climate pollutants.”

WRI’s work is organized around critical goals that the world must achieve this decade in order to secure a sustainable future, many of which are contingent on the ability to effectively control and reduce short-lived climate pollutants.

WRI has participated in the UN Global Compact since 2003 and launched the Greenhouse Gas Protocol with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development since in 1998. WRI is accredited to UN Environment and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and is an admitted NGO to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 

About the World Resources Institute

WRI is a global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being.  Read more about our mission.

Contact:

Tiy Chung, Communications Officer, Climate and Clean Air Coalition. Phone: +33 1 44 37 14 21; Mobile: +33 6 26 71 79 81; Email: tiy.chung [at] unep.org (tiy[dot]chung[at]unep[dot]org)

Beth Elliott, Communications Officer, World Resources Institute. Phone +1 202 829 7840; Mobile +1 301 357 0981; Email:  beth.elliott [at] wri.org (beth[dot]elliott[at]wri[dot]org )