Super Pollutant Investment Analysis

RATIONALE

Super pollutants are the most powerful drivers of near-term climate change, many with severe environmental and human health impacts as a result of their impact on air quality. Despite their outsized influence and the availability of cost-effective mitigation measures, these solutions remain underfunded and under implemented.  

Methane alone is around 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period and is a key precursor to tropospheric ozone, which contributes to air pollution, crop damage, and food insecurity – finance for methane emissions reduction accounts for less than 2% of international climate finance. Although methane finance has grown, reaching an annual average of USD 13.7 billion in 2021–2022, it remains far below the needs annually to meet the Global Methane Pledge target.  Outdoor air pollution is also massively underfunded compared to other development areas, receiving only 1% of all international development funding.

Through its Assessment work the CCAC has established clear evidence based on the specific measures capable of delivering rapid and cost-effective reductions in super pollutants. Its assessments identify concrete, implementable actions across sectors - from oil and gas to waste, agriculture, transport, and household energy - and quantify their potential for near-term climate and health benefits. The number of projects and level of funding flowing to these measures is a clear indicator of their uptake, and whether the enabling conditions required for their uptake are being supported.

Building on existing work, this project aims to link finance flows directly to the measures identified by the CCAC, to clarify current investment patterns, expose critical gaps, and determine the scale and composition of finance required to deliver meaningful reductions in super pollutants this decade. The resulting evidence base will support more targeted and effective resource mobilisation, advancing one of the most impactful opportunities for immediate climate and health gains.

OBJECTIVE

• Update understanding of the landscape of methane abatement finance, including to better understand the disparity between current levels of financing and the levels needed to achieve the Global Methane Pledge target.
• Refine a fit-for-purpose taxonomy for super pollutant mitigation measures and track current investment flows from public and private sector stakeholders.
• Develop a study on the super pollutant abatement finance landscape, that increases the granularity of information available to support more targeted and effective resource mobilisation
• Refine a fit-for-purpose taxonomy for methane abatement solutions and track current investment flows from public and private sector stakeholders.

• Connect science, policy, and finance communities together to engage in open discussions to link scientific insights with financing strategies that strengthen the tracking, mobilisation, and implementation of resources.

   

ACTIVITIES

To achieve these objectives, the project will:

• Publish a Methane Finance Briefing Note that will provide an overview of the finance pathways for each key methane sector.
• Publish a Super Pollutant Investment Report (preliminary title) to provide a comprehensive study on super pollutant abatement financing.  
• Organize three Science-Finance Dialogues to connect the science, policy, and finance communities together.

Project Reference: [24-078-GLO 24-004] Super pollutant investment analysis