RELEASE DATE
Tuesday 27th March 2012
The statement will be released at 10:00am GMT at The Planet Under Pressure Conference
(www.planetunderpressure2012.net).
CONTACTS
Prof. Paul Monks, United Kingdom
p.s.monks@leicester.ac.uk , +44-(0)7554333020
Dr. Kathy Law, France
kathy.law@latmos.ipsl.fr, +33-6-33195320
Dr. Megan Melamed, USA
megan@igacproject.org, +1(303) 895-8273
IGBP/IGAC RELEASE STATEMENT ON AIR POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Time to Act:
The Opportunity to Simultaneously Mitigate Air Pollution and Climate Change
London, UK – Air pollution is projected to be the world’s top environmental cause of
premature mortality worldwide by 2050, ahead of dirty water and lack of sanitation.
Current climate change mitigation actions will not be enough to prevent the global average
temperature from exceeding the internationally agreed goal of 2˚C above pre-industrial
levels by 2050. A statement released today by the International Geosphere-Biosphere
Programme (IGBP) and the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) project
shows these two issues are inexorably linked and calls for an integrated approach to
addressing air pollution and climate change in order to slow the rate of climate change and
protect human health, food/water security and ecosystems.
The statement, Time to Act: The Opportunity to Simultaneously Mitigate Air Pollution and
Climate Change, builds upon current efforts to address short-lived climate forcers (SLCF)
such as the United Nation Environmental Program (UNEP) Integrated Assessment of Black
Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone and The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce ShortLived Climate Pollutants. However, the statement goes beyond addressing just SLCFs and
examines all the linkages between air pollution and climate change, including how
reductions of some air pollutants that lead to cooling, such as sulfur dioxide, will uncover
warming from carbon dioxide already emitted and how climate change may render air
pollution control management strategies less effective.
Addressing air pollution and climate change together provides a unique opportunity to
simultaneously achieve both air quality and climate policy goals in the near-term.
Therefore, the IGBP/IGAC statement calls for action to develop a holistic framework to
integrate air pollution and climate change solutions into economic development and
broader decision processes in various local, national, regional, and global contexts. The
integrated framework should be informed by scientific research that cuts across traditional
-more-
disciplines to develop mitigation strategies adapted to the physical, economical, political
and social contexts within a given nation or region. The scientific and economic basis for a
coordinated approach to mitigating air pollution and climate change is well established. The
time to act is now.
The International Global Biosphere Programme (IGBP, www.igbp.net) was launched in 1987
and is sponsored by the International Science Council (ICSU). IGBP’s vision is to provide
essential scientific leadership and knowledge of the Earth system to help guide society onto
a sustainable pathway during rapid global change.
The International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC, igacproject.org) was formed in 1990
and operates under the umbrella of the IGBP and is jointly sponsored by the international
Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (iCACGP). IGAC’s mission is to
coordinate and foster atmospheric chemistry research toward a sustainable world.
For more information or to schedule and interview:
Visit:
www.igacproject.org/node/12
Contact:
Prof. Paul Monks, United Kingdom
p.s.monks@leicester.ac.uk , +44-(0)7554333020
Dr. Kathy Law, France
kathy.law@latmos.ipsl.fr, +33-6-33195320
Dr. Megan Melamed, USA
megan@igacproject.org, +1(303)895-8273
Included are quotes from three of the authors of the statement:
“This statement represents the chance to bring together not only the science, but also
recognises the future pathways that are required in order to achieve win-win solutions
across a range of areas that have direct societal benefit.” – Professor Paul Monks, University
of Leicester, United Kingdom
“There is both a scientific and an economic basis for simultaneously mitigating air pollution
and climate change. The challenge is translating this knowledge into action but there are
clear benefits to doing so sooner rather than later.” – Dr. Kathy Law, LATMOS/CNRS, France
“We live in a changing world. Urbanization, economic development, energy choices, and
policy decisions are changing the amount of air pollutants and greenhouse gases emitted
into the atmosphere. Addressing air pollution and climate change together provides a
unique opportunity to simultaneously achieve both air quality and climate policy goals in the
near term. ” – Dr. Megan L. Melamed, IGAC Project, United States.
The research discussed in the press release, the conclusions drawn and the opinions offered
are those of individual speakers or research teams at the Planet Under Pressure conference.