Short-Lived Climate Forcers: Threats and Opportunities for Mitigating Global Warming

The talk will focus on Short Lived Climate Forcers (SLCF), in particular Black Carbon aerosols, Tropopsheric Ozone and Methane, their transport away from source regions to spread globally, and the resulting climate changes and impacts. The scientific knowledge related to these factors is presently used to form the basis for climate policies that could reduce global warming and other (regional) climate impacts in the near term (< 30 years). As such they could complement the policies to reduce carbon dioxide emisisons, which need to be implemented immediately to stabilize climate in the long term (> 50 years). In Europe SLCF policies are considered under the UN Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution. The largest potential to reduce SLFCs is however in developping countries and emerging economies. The talk will use data from recent assessments by the UN Environmental Programme, that quantify that potential and develop strategies for implementing appropriate measures