Actions on near-term climate mitigation to protect air quality and achieve the Paris climate goals and the SDGs

16 November, 2016
Marrakech, Morocco
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Actions on near-term climate mitigation to protect air quality and achieve the Paris climate goals and the SDGs

13:15-14:45, Wednesday, 16 November

Room Arabian, Blue zone

Now is the time to focus on implementation of concrete actions to achieve the goal set out in the Paris Agreement to “pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.” The adverse impacts of climate change are already upon us, affecting the health and livelihoods of those alive today and further challenging our ability to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Without fast action with near-term impact temperatures are likely to exceed the 1.5°C target during the 2030s and exceed 2°C by mid-century.

Reducing CO2 emissions immediately is essential to limit long-term warming. Significant reductions in near-term warming can only be achieved by simultaneously reducing emissions from Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs), such as black carbon (BC), methane and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The consumption and production of HFCs, in particular, will be significantly phased down following the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, approved in October 2016, which will avoid up to 0.5˚C of warming by 2100.

Taking concerted action to change practices and technologies to reduce SLCP emissions in sectors such as waste management, transport and industry can limit global warming by up to 0.5°C by 2050 from reductions in BC and methane, and adittional 0.1°C from phasing down HFCs, while also providing numerous co-benefits for human health and ecosystems. Furthermore, these benefits can be achieved quickly via implementation of existing technologies and practices, putting the world on a path to simultaneously achieving our long-term climate and near-term sustainable development goals. Panelists will discuss developments in this field, and identify financial opportunities to move forward with SLCP action. 

Speakers

Opening remarks

  • [Moderator] Prof. Dr. Mark Lawrence, Managing Scientific Director, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam - Near-term actions to accelerate pathways towards the climate target

 

Science perspective

  • V. Ramanathan, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography UCSD [via video recording]
  • Durwood Zaelke, President Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development 

 

Political Support for reducing short-lived climate pollutants

  • Regina Lopez, Secretary of the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources (TBC) - Philippines experience in addressing air and climate pollutants 

 

Financing short-lived climate pollutants mitigation

  • Eduardo Bitran Colodro, Secretary General of CORFO, Former Minister of Public Works, Chile – Financing SLCP mitigation projects
  • Roland Kupers, Associate Fellow at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University – Reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas industry
  • Stefanie Lindenberg, European Investment Bank – Launch of the European Investment Bank’s report on SLCPs
  • Stephen Hammer, World Bank - Cost of air pollution report by the World Bank

 

>> Pilot Auction Facility simulation game (performed by Scott Cantor, World Bank)

Closing remarks 

  • Helena Molin Valdes, Head of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat – Working in partnership to catalyse action, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition

      

    

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