Why we must attack black carbon air pollution to protect the climate

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on the World Economic Forum or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Tackling black carbon, a short-lived climate pollutant, is critical to slowing global warming
• Black carbon, primarily from diesel emissions and biomass burning, has an outsized impact on Arctic warming, accelerating ice melt and increasing global temperatures

🔭 The context: Black carbon is 1,500 times more powerful than CO2 at heating the planet and contributes to over 10 million deaths annually due to air pollution
• Though it only remains in the atmosphere for a few days, its darkening effect on snow and ice in the Arctic amplifies regional warming

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Rapid reductions in black carbon could halve the rate of warming, especially in the Arctic, and protect against catastrophic climate tipping points
• Cutting this pollutant offers a faster climate solution than focusing on CO2 reductions alone

⏭️ What's next: Policymakers are urged to adopt mandatory measures to curb black carbon emissions, particularly in high-emission areas like South Asia and the Arctic
• Existing voluntary pledges, such as those from the Arctic Council, need to be expanded and enforced globally

💬 One quote: "Drastically cutting black carbon and other climate super pollutants is the only known way to slow warming in the near term and we need to exploit this advantage to the fullest." – Durwood Zaelke & Gabrielle Dreyfus, Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development

📈 One stat: Pound for pound, black carbon is 1,500 times more potent than CO2 in terms of planetary warming

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