7 June 2012
Sweden, US Launch Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Campaign
story highlights

Sweden and the US launched an awareness raising campaign on Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs), under the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce SLCPs.

Other actions to be taken under CCAC include an initiative on reducing methane and waste system pollutants from cities that will be launched at the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).

3 June 2012: Swedish Environment Minister Lena Ek, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and HRH Swedish Crown Princess Victoria launched an awareness raising campaign under the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs). The campaign consists of a contest to come up with creative ideas to inform the public about SLCPs and means of addressing the issue.

Swedish and US representatives met on 3 June 2012, in Stockholm, Sweden. Secretary of State Clinton highlighted other actions to be taken under CCAC including, a technology conference in July 2012 in Bangkok to demonstrate technologies to eliminate greenhouse gases (GHG) in refrigeration and cooling systems, and an initiative on reducing methane and waste system pollutants from cities that will be launched at the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).

Clinton stressed the need for the world to “aggressively reduce carbon dioxide emissions” in addition to addressing SLCPs. Minister Ek emphasized that addressing SLCPs is an opportunity in the near term to slow climate change, highlighting the importance of awareness raising. He invited people, in particular youth, to participate in developing means of communicating the impacts of and actions on SLCPs.

CCAC partners include: G-8 members, Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden, the US, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Colombia, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, the European Commission, and the World Bank. The Coalition plans to: drive the development of national action plans and the adoption of policy priorities; build capacity among developing countries; mobilize public and private funds for action; raise awareness of black carbon; foster regional and international cooperation; and improve scientific understanding of the pollutant impacts and mitigation options. [US State Department Press Release] [Global Outreach and Awareness Contest Webpage]