European Parliament Calls for Fast Action on Climate Change
The European Parliament iscalling for fast action to reduce non-CO2
climate forcers including black carbon soot,
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), methane, and ground-level ozone, which
together are responsible for nearly half of climate
forcing.
The Parliament’s
call for action came in a
Resolution passed today by an overwhelming
majority (578 to 51 with 22
abstentions).
The Resolution calls for a
comprehensive climate policy and “stresses that in addition to
considering CO2 emission reductions, it should place
emphasis on strategies that can produce the fastest climate
response,” specifically strategies to cut black carbon soot, HFCs,
methane, and ground-level ozone.
Because these climate forcers
are short-lived, reducing them produces a fast climate response.
This is in contrast to long-lived CO2, where a
significant portion remains in the atmosphere for thousands of
years. Even cutting CO2 emissions to zero today
will not produce cooling for a thousand
years.
“Cutting just two
of the short-lived climate forcers - black carbon soot and
ground-level ozone - can cut the rate of global warming in half and
by two-thirds in the Arctic for the next 30 to 60 years, assuming
we also make progress on CO2,” said Durwood
Zaelke, President of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable
Development.
Zaelke testified
before the Parliament in March
2011. He added, “Cutting the
short-lived forcers is not a substitute for cutting
CO2, which controls long-term climate
temperature. But if we don’t cut the
non-CO2forcers now and slow the rate of
warming in the next few decades, we risk passing tipping points for
abrupt and catastrophic climate
impact.”
The risk of passing
tipping points includes the loss of Arctic sea ice, which currently
acts as a defensive shield reflecting heat back into space, the
disintegration of the Greenland ice sheet and the world’s other
glaciers, as well as the die off of the Amazon and other
forests.
Current climate
impacts are already causing significant harm, contributing to
extreme weather events. This year has already seen record
floods and droughts around the world including in the Horn of
Africa where millions are facing
starvation.
Emissions of black
carbon and other short-lived climate forcers can be reduced quickly
using existing technologies and existing laws, according to a
recent assessment by the
target=”_blank”>U.N. Environment Programme and World
Meteorological
Organization.
The EU Resolution
follows the first-ever ministerial meeting on short-lived climate
forcers held 12 September in Mexico City, hosted by Mexico and
Sweden, along with the United States and the United Nations
Environment Programme.
A follow-up technical
meeting will be hosted by Bangladesh in October, with further
ministerial meetings likely in the future.
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