7 April 2013: The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) held a Working Group meeting to set its priority areas, goals and key milestones for 2013, including actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), which have been identified as one of the greatest hazards to human health.
Held on 7-8 March 2013, in Paris, France, the Working Group considered new initiatives to reduce SLCPs and additional actions under its existing initiatives. Two new initiatives will focus on reducing SLCPs from household cooking and domestic heating, and on SLCP regional assessments.
New actions under existing initiatives include: mitigating black carbon from brick production; reducing SCLP emissions from municipal solid waste; lowering black carbon emissions from heavy duty vehicles and engines, including development of a Global Green Freight Declaration and Charter and of a Global Sulfur Strategy; promoting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) alternatives and standards, including inventories and information dissemination activities; and assessing SLCP problems and opportunities in Latin America.
Citing recent scientific studies, a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) informed participants that household pollution causes more premature deaths than previously thought, with estimates of 3.5 million deaths per year, while outdoor pollution is responsible for another 3.3 million deaths per year.
CCAC aims to catalyze action on reducing black carbon, methane, certain HFCs and other short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) to maximize agricultural, climate, energy and health benefits. It brings together governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, the environmental community, and other members of civil society to support solutions for reducing pollutants that are harmful to human health and the climate. Launched in March 2013, CCAC currently engages 60 State partners and other international institutions and organizations. The UN Environment programme (UNEP) hosts the Coalition Secretariat. [CCAC Press Release on Paris Meeting] [CCAC Press Release on World Health Day] [UN Press Release]