SAP Briefing & Key Messages from the IPCC 1.5 C Special Report

The IPCC 1.5˚C Special Report includes several key messages linking climate change mitigation and clean air, including the role of non-CO2 emissions such as short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) like methane, black carbon, and hydrofluorocarbons. 

The report connects mitigation policies and sustainable development, and the need for an integrated approach. 

These include:
1. The path we take to reach the 1.5˚C target is crucial for both climate and other development impacts. Only scenarios with low- or no-temperature overshoot beyond the 1.5˚C guardrail are consistent with achieving global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2. Current mitigation ambition is insufficient to put the world on a safe path and no scenarios reviewed for the Special Report were able to achieve a 1.5˚C pathway if additional mitigation ambition is delayed to 2030.

We must change course on emissions in the next decade. And this means:
3. We must address all climate forcing emissions, including SLCPs. The Special Report emphasizes the need for specific measures, such as those targeted by the CCAC, to significantly reduce SLCP sources that won’t be reduced by the broader transformation and decarbonization of the energy sector.
4. Climate change, air pollution, and sustainable development are linked. An integrated multiple-benefits approach enables ambitious action by maximizing multiple-benefits and avoiding negative trade-offs.
5. Focus on solutions that deliver multiple-benefits for air pollution and other development goals, which will enable countries to make ambitious commitments and take faster action.