The Role of Short-Lived Climate Forcers in the Global Climate Regime, 2018

The international UN climate agreements under cover all greenhouse gases, with a few exceptions. However, most of the focus has been on addressing emissions of CO2, the principal greenhouse gas. Because progress in addressing CO2 has been slow, the so-called short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs) have been placed high on the political agenda in recent years. The SLCFs include black carbon (soot), tropospheric ozone, methane and hydrofluorocarbons. This project investigated the potential of reducing emissions of SLCFs within the global effort to address climate change. While there is a large academic literature on the incentives to reduce CO2 emissions and on what is required to ensure effective cooperation, the literature on the potential of reducing SL CF emissions is much more limited, in particular in the social sciences. Because reducing emissions of CO2 and of SLCFs differs quite substantially in terms of sources, opportunities, costs and benefits, lessons learnt from analyzing the former do not necessarily translate to the latter. The project collected and produced new knowledge about the physical, economic and political potential of reducing SLCF emissions. This formed the basis for a systematic assessment of the incentives for mitigation both within countries and of how incentives interact between countries under different conditions. An online survey collected among delegates to the UN climate convention UNFCCC.