Daily report for 16 November 2016

This event, organized by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC), convened on 16 November 2016 in Marrakech, Morocco, on the sidelines of the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The event aimed to provide a platform for discussions on: national practices/experiences in combining efforts on mitigation of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs); how SLCPs fit into Nationally Determined Contributions; and the expected or experienced multiple benefits for health and sustainable development.

More specifically, the event emphasized the fact that, while 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 SLCPs, such as black carbon, 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.

The event underscored that 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 of up to 0.5°C by 2050 from reductions in black carbon and methane, and an additional 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, setting the world on a path to simultaneously achieve long-term climate and near-term sustainable development goals. Panelists discussed developments in this field, and identified financial opportunities to move forward with action on SLCPs. 

OPENING REMARKS

Helena Molin Valdes, Head of the CCAC Secretariat, opened the event and welcomed participants. Mark Lawrence, Managing Scientific Director, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) Potsdam, moderated the event, and presented on near-term actions to accelerate pathways towards the climate target. He said any hopes of remaining below a 2 °C temperature rise will require complete decarbonization by 2050, and transformation of the transportation and energy sectors. He said that this goal implies gross negative emissions presumed to start in 2020, noting that achieving this will be very challenging. Lawrence said SLCPs are responsible for half of current global warming not caused by CO2. He called for “fast action policies to protect people and the planet from extreme climate changes.”

SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE

Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego (UCSD), via video, noted the need to decarbonize, and said to realize the Paris Agreement’s goals, public support for drastic actions is required. He also said, inter alia, market mechanisms, a price on carbon and transparency are key elements to promoting implementation.

Durwood Zaelke, President, Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, highlighted solutions to implement the Paris Agreement, including reducing SLCPs, which will bring co-benefits and help avoid reaching the tipping point. He noted the Montreal Protocol’s success to deliver a plan to phase-down HFCs and promote energy efficiency gains by replacing air conditioners and refrigerators. He said climate change is a “fast-moving problem” that cannot be solved with “slow-moving solutions.”

POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR REDUCING SLCPS

Ken Alex, Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, California, outlined California’s efforts and legislation in reducing SLCPs. He noted solutions to capture and reuse methane to replace fossil fuels.

FINANCING SLCP MITIGATION

Roland Kupers, Associate Fellow, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Oxford University, outlined measures for reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. He recommended putting a price on methane and gathering better quality data. He noted natural gas is not a clean fossil fuel due to “invisible” methane emissions, and highlighted that halting methane leakages in the oil and gas industry is cost-effective, self-financing and not difficult to implement.

Eduardo Bitran Colodro, Secretary General, Chilean Economic Development Agency (CORFO), and former Minister of Public Works, Chile, explained CORFO’s strategy for moving Chile toward a more sustainable economy. He noted initiatives for financing SLCP mitigation projects, and underscored opportunities to lower black carbon emissions by producing solar hydrogen for the mining sector. He said Chile is on a path towards a new low-carbon industrial mining economy, based on clean energy and innovative cost-efficient processes. Colodro advocated for a circular economy model to reduce methane emissions in the agricultural sector.

Stefanie Lindenberg, European Investment Bank (EIB), outlined the EIB’s report on SLCPs, which analyzes the EIB’s policies, procedures, impact of activities and options for scaling-up SLCP mitigation efforts. She underscored that the report assessed EIB standards and criteria to take SLCPs into account. She said the EIB must include SLCP reductions for transport projects and enhance finance for waste projects, and that the EIB is working to reduce methane leakage in the oil and gas sector.

Stephen Hammer, World Bank, outlined the report on ‘The Cost of Air Pollution: Strengthening the Economic Case for Action,’ emphasizing that opportunities for co-benefits exist, especially in urban areas. He said the report amplifies the case for taking action.

PILOT AUCTION FACILITY SIMULATION GAME

Scott Cantor, World Bank, engaged participants in the Pilot Auction Facility simulation game to showcase a market instrument in which methane reduction projects are chosen to deliver finance.

CLOSING REMARKS

Valdes introduced a video on the Breathelife 2030 campaign, which highlights the threats of air pollution to children’s lives around the world. She thanked participants and closed the session.