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#BuyMoreTime: Air Pollution

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We Don't Have Time

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Welcome to another edition in our series of articles about the importance of tackling methane and other short-lived climate pollutants now. The world is not on track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, but by focusing on these super pollutants, we can #BuyMoreTime to stabilize the climate. Read more articles in this series on our #BuyMoreTime page and join us by signing our letter to UN Ambassadors, advocating for a Montreal Protocol to limit short-lived climate gases.


https://youtu.be/CbXaG4oQ9fE?si=0UkYPmJGSR-tea2s


Air pollution and climate change are widely overlapping problems. While climate change is a threat that has been building up for decades, air pollution’s impacts on human health are immediate and recognizable: respiratory illnesses, heart disease, developmental disorders, cancer. Fortunately, many of the same changes we must make to curb greenhouse gas emissions will also reduce air pollution.

In this session, we speak to three experts from top international organizations who offer some insight into the gravity of the air pollution problem caused by short-lived pollutants, and its relationship to climate change.

Discussion highlights

The air pollution-climate change link
While the risks associated with climate change build over decades, air pollution causes immediate health impacts, especially among children and other vulnerable populations. The same actions that cut greenhouse gas emissions can simultaneously curb air pollution, benefiting health and the environment.

Global and regional impacts of black carbon and ozone
Black carbon accelerates ice melt, indirectly exacerbating global warming by reducing the light-reflecting properties of snow and ice. Tropospheric ozone, aka smog, reduces crop yields and harms health. Addressing these pollutants can deliver immediate health, economic, and environmental benefits.

Collaborative solutions and success stories
Well understood interventions like switching to renewable energy, electric mobility, and improving traffic management demonstrate the potential for change. Cross-sector collaboration, financial reforms, and sustainable practices in industries are essential to tackling pollution and will yield GHG emissions reductions as well.


Speakers

Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Public Health & Environment, WHO
Valerie Hickey, Global Director, Environment, The World Bank
Sean Maguire, Executive Director, Strategic Partnership, Clean Air Fund

Take Action: Sign the #BuyMoreTime Letter The urgency of this crisis demands action. Let decision-makers know about the critical importance of tackling methane and other short lived climate gases. Learn more and sign the #BuyMoreTime letter to call for immediate action.

https://www.wedonthavetime.org/buymoretime



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    We Don’t Have Time is the world’s largest media platform for climate action – with a mission to democratize knowledge about climate solutions and inspire and mobilize global action toward a prosperous, fossil-free future. The content of the We Don't Have Time social network is user-generated. The We Don’t Have Time organization does not automatically endorse users’ opinions and claims. All users of We Don’t Have Time have subscribed to We Don’t Have Time’s Terms of Use, which, among other things, prohibits hateful, abusive, and violent content. If you discover content that violates our Terms of Use, please notify us immediately. The platform is operated by the company WeDontHaveTime AB (publ), whose majority shareholder is the WeDontHaveTime Foundation. The Foundation’s principal purpose is to contribute to a reduced climate impact and an ecologically sustainable environment. Our headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden.

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