· 3 min read
illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Wall Street Journal or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Google is expanding its climate strategy by targeting “superpollutants”—short-lived but highly potent greenhouse gases like methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• The company has committed to purchasing up to 25,000 tons of destruction-based carbon credits from Recoolit and Cool Effect by 2030
• This equates to around 1 million tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions removed over the long term, positioning Google as the first major buyer of these new credits verified by U.K.-based registry Isometric
🔭 The context: While CO₂ dominates climate mitigation efforts due to its long atmospheric lifetime, superpollutants are responsible for an estimated 45% of human-caused global warming, despite receiving only a small share of climate finance
• Methane, for instance, contributes about 0.5°C of current warming compared to CO₂’s 0.8°C
• Google’s move follows rising calls from scientists and carbon market leaders to address these gases, which are critical to slowing near-term climate impacts
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Cutting superpollutants is one of the fastest ways to curb global warming in the short term
• Their shorter lifespans mean emissions reductions can lead to quicker climate benefits, potentially shaving 0.5°C to 1°C off future global temperatures
• By investing early in scalable destruction methods for refrigerant gases and landfill methane, Google’s effort could accelerate innovation in underfunded mitigation sectors and help close the near-term emissions gap critical for meeting Paris Agreement targets
⏭️ What's next: Isometric is rolling out new methodologies for verifying superpollutant removals and issuing credits based on updated intensity calculations
• These standards aim to make credits more scientifically robust and appealing to institutional buyers
• Google's early investment could trigger broader market adoption, especially as firms seek diversified portfolios of climate solutions
• The first credits are expected to be issued in the coming years, with additional registries likely to follow suit
💬 One quote: “Some of the largest buyers in the world are concerned about the warming effect of superpollutants — this stuff accounts for 45% of human-caused global warming.” – Eamon Jubbawy, CEO of Isometric
📈 One stat: Methane alone has contributed 0.5°C of global temperature rise—over half the impact of CO₂ despite its shorter atmospheric lifetime
See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of Google and its peers Microsoft, and Amazon
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