Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone Assessment

In 2009 UNEP commissioned an assessment to raise awareness of the issues of black carbon and tropospheric ozone amongst decision makers and scientific advisors engaged in policy development to address both climate change and air pollution.

Such an assessment is extremely important given that these pollutants are not currently considered under the UNFCCC, the international convention tasked with developing agreements on combating climate change.

As such, urgent action to decrease concentrations of black carbon and ozone in the atmosphere could provide opportunities, not only for significant air pollution benefits (e.g. food security, human health, carbon sequestration) but also for climate change. Since the pollutants are short lived, rapid climate benefits may be realised helping to slow global warming and avoid crossing critical temperature and environmental thresholds.

SEI co-ordinated and contributed to the black carbon and ozone assessment, working together with UNEP. The collaboration builds on SEI’s expertise in the field, experience of coordinating and contributing to the UNEP GEO4 assessment chapter on ‘Atmosphere’ and SEI’s role as one of the joint conveners of the Global Atmospheric Pollution Forum.