Short-Lived Climate Forcers - MARAMA

Short-Lived Climate Forcers (SLCF):Reasons for Taking Action• Keeping temperature change below 2ºC may depend on reducing SLCF– GHGs are largest contributors to current and future climate change, so GHGreductions are essential to mitigating climate change in the long run. However, thebenefits will take time to manifest due to persistence of GHGs in atmosphere.• Reducing SLCF emissions now may provide numerous benefits:– Avoid rapid near-term climate change (temperature and other impacts)– Slow melting of the arctic and alpine glaciers– Help reach and maintain the Ozone NAAQS– Public health co-benefits (esp. black carbon)• Main pollutants of concern:– Black carbon (BC)– Methane, which is both a GHG and a precursor to tropospheric ozoneImage e: Glaciers OnlineJurg AleanU.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Office of Air and Radiation4