Nordic Group Highlights Short-Term Climate Benefits from Cuts in Black Carbon
4 February 2013: The Nordic Group on Climate and Air Quality (KoL) has released a report on scientific and policy developments related to black carbon, HFCs, methane, and other short-lived climate forcers (SFLCs) in Nordic countries. The report cites recent studies indicating that SLCFs exert a greater climate impact than previously believed, but also describes opportunities for immediate emissions reductions to delay a 2°C warming in global temperatures by three to four decades.
The report presents recommendations on international policy and scientific research and monitoring from the June 2012 “Nordic Workshop on Action Related to Short-lived Climate Forcers,” organized by KoL to explore recent scientific findings, national emission inventories, cost-effective emission reductions, national plans, and international cooperation on SLCFs.
Nine policy recommendations are outlined in the report, including the strengthening of national action plans, evaluation of cost-effective emission-control measures, and enhanced international cooperation for more ambitious regulations.
Recommendations on scientific research and monitoring include improved definitions and metrics of black carbon, coordination and extension of monitoring networks, climate modeling focused on the Arctic region, and strengthened collaboration with the Russian Federation.
The report also contains individual chapters on SFLCs estimates, inventories and policy measures in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. The June 2012 workshop followed the Nordic Ministers of Environment adoption of the Svalbard Declaration in March 2012, calling for the mitigation of climate impacts from SLCFs. [NORDEN Press Release] [Publication: Nordic Workshop on Action Related to Short-lived Climate Forcers] [Svalbard Declaration on SLCFs]