G8 join efforts to cut short-lived climate pollutants

The G8 countries have acceded to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-lived Climate Pollutants, the G8 summit declaration said. “Recognizing the impact of short-lived climate pollutants on near-term climate change, agricultural productivity, and human health, we support, as a means of promoting increased ambition and complementary to other CO2 and GHG emission reduction efforts, comprehensive actions to reduce these pollutants,” the declaration said. “Therefore, we agree to join the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-lived Climate Pollutants.” The pollutants account for over 30 percent of near-term global warming as well as 2 million premature deaths a year. SLCPs are agents that have a relatively short lifespan in the atmosphere - a few days to a few decades - and tend to have a warming influence on climate. The main short-lived climate pollutants are black carbon, tropospheric ozone and methane, which are the most important contributors to the human enhancement of the global greenhouse effect after CO2.