Newsletter: September 2020

Dear partners and colleagues,The last month has helped increase global awareness of the need for climate and clean air and, through our Science Policy Dialogue, helped broaden our understanding of the opportunities and barriers of reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and black carbon emissions.September 7th saw the global launch of the first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies. The CCAC Secretariat supported UNEP in the coordination of the day and used the opportunity to highlight the benefits of linking climate and air pollution mitigation. Launching the day, His Excellency, Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea called for increased international cooperation on climate and the environment and said Korea would “strengthen policy measures to reduce greenhouse gases and fine dust [PM2.5] simultaneously”.Last week the Coalition’s Scientific Advisory Panel hosted a virtual Science Policy Dialogue focused on raising mitigation ambition to reduce black carbon and HFCs emissions by 2030. The opportunities and challenges presented will help shape the priorities for the Coalition’s emerging 2030 Strategy, to support all partners achieve their climate and clean air goals and ensure that policies are informed by the best science.The discussion on HFCs showed the world is on its way to reducing HFCs through the Kigali Amendment but there is room for increased ambition. Greater climate benefits can be achieved in the short-term through a faster phase down, while also ensuring proper life-cycle management and destruction of HFCs currently in existence. There is huge opportunity to bring alternative cooling technology to fast growing markets and, by ensuring these new products are as energy efficient as possible, we can double the climate benefits of action. Solar based cooling for farmers may become one such new area to improve cold chains and reduce food loss.Black carbon emissions have fallen over the last eight years as countries and industry move away from polluting technologies in certain sectors like passenger and heavy-duty vehicles. More countries are also moving to reduce air pollution to protect health and deliver near-term climate co-benefits. However, we now understand better the regional climate impacts from black carbon, and the health impact from indoor air pollution caused by burning biomass. This urges us to take further actions to reduce emissions from sources, like waste and agriculture burning, household energy and flaring. Recent wildfires in Australia, Siberia and California show that natural, but human-influenced, sources of black and brown carbon are becoming more problematic.We encourage you to check out the Science Policy Dialogue recording and supporting materials below to find out more.Helena Molin Valdes Head of the Climate & Clean Air Coalition secretariat

→ African Union Commission (partner)

→ Decision Support Systems Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens (actor)

New Research Shows Disproportionate Rate of Coronavirus Deaths in Polluted Areas ProPublicaClimate-Friendly Cooling Can Slow Global Warming Project SyndicateChina’s Pledge to Be Carbon Neutral by 2060: What It Means New York TimesAccra’s steps toward clean air: The Essence of the Urban Health and Short-lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) Reduction Project ICLEI

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