Curbing non-CO2 pollutants key to tackling rising temperatures, says climate researcher
NEW DELHI: (Mar 2) Slashing non-carbon dioxide (CO2) pollutants, particularly short-lived climate pollutants, such as methane, could put the emergency brake on rising temperatures, avoiding between 0.4 degrees Celsius and 0.6 degrees Celsius of warming by 2050, said Dr Durwood Zaelke, co-founder of the Washington-based Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development.
For comparison, if the world successfully decarbonises by just targeting CO2 emissions by 2050, only 0.1 degrees Celsius of warming could be avoided.
“This is because when you shut down fossil-fuel facilities, you unmask existing warming, as short-lived sulphates, which cool the planet, fall out in a matter of days,” said Zealke, who is also a professor and author. He was one of the key speakers at last week’s World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
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