The Policy Context for Black Carbon Emission
Inventory and Abatement Cooperation
Sara Terry
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Overview
• Short History of Black Carbon
• Current Status of Black Carbon in:
– CLRTAP and the Gothenburg Protocol
Amendments
– Arctic Council and the Framework for Action on
Black Carbon and Methane
• How BC Information Can Impact Policy
2
Short History of Black Carbon
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BC Recognized as Climate Forcer since 1970s
Included in IPCC Reports (initially as soot) since 1995
2009: Formation of the Arctic Black Carbon Initiative
2010- Formation of Arctic Council Arctic Contaminants Action Program
(ACAP) Short-lived Climate Forcers and Contaminants Expert Group
(formerly Project Steering Group)
2010: Report of the LRTAP Ad-hoc Expert Group on Black Carbon
2011: UNEP/WMO Integrated Assessment of BC and Tropospheric Ozone
2011 and 2013: Reports of the Arctic Council Task Force on Short Lived
Climate Forcers
2012: Formation of Climate and Clean Air Coalition
2008-2015: AMAP Reports:
– Sources and Mitigation Opportunities to Reduce Emissions of Short-term Arctic
Climate Forcers (2008)
– The Impact of Short-Lived Pollutants on Arctic Climate (2008)
– AMAP 2009 Update on Selected Climate Issues of Concern
– The Impact of Black Carbon on Arctic Climate (2011)
– Arctic Climate Issues 2015: Short-lived Climate Pollutants
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2015: Framework for Action by Arctic Council Task Force for Action on
Black Carbon and Methane
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1979 Convention on Long Range
Transboundary Air Pollution
• First multilateral treaty on air pollution
• Commitments
– Develop strategies to combat air pollution
– Exchange information on policies, research,
monitoring, etc.
– Hold consultations on long range transboundary air
pollution and its effects
– Coordinate and cooperate on research into control
technologies, monitoring, modeling, health and
environmental effects, etc.
• Serves as a model for regional/global
environmental treaties (e.g., POPs, mercury)
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Coverage LRTAP (51 Parties)
Artic Ocean
CA
Pacific Ocean
US
FI
NO
Atlantic Ocean
SE
RU
EE
LV
DK
LT
BY
IE
NL
GB
BE
FR
PL
DE
L
CZ
U
CH
RO
BA
PT
KZ
MD
SI HR
IT
ES
UA
SK
HU
AT
YU
BG
AL MK
GR
TR
CY
GE
AM AZ
KG
UZ
TM
TJ
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The Protocols
• 1984 EMEP Protocol
– Established permanent funding for monitoring and modeling program.
• 1985 Sulphur Protocol
– Reduce 1980 annual sulphur emissions by at least 30 per cent
• 1988 NOx Protocol
– Reduce and hold NOx emissions below 1987 levels by 1993
• 1991 VOC Protocol
– Reduce 1984 annual VOC emissions by 30 percent by 1999
• 1994 Sulphur Protocol
– Reduce emissions by 50 to 80 percent by 2000/2005
• 1998 Protocol/2012 Amendments on Heavy Metals
– Cadmium, Lead and Mercury
• 1998 Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
– Pesticides, PCBs, Dioxins/Furans (16 compounds).
• 1999 Gothenburg Protocol/2012 Amendments to Abate Acidification,
Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone
– SOx, NOx, VOCs, Ammonia (1999)
– Particulate Matter (2012)
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LRTAP – Long Term Strategy
• Adopted in 2010
• Sets out a vision for the Convention for the next 10
years
• Recognized the importance of identifying the cobenefits of combating air pollution and climate
change
• Shorter-term attention is focused on SLCPs where
there is a recognition that optimal control policies
should be regional in nature
• Set the stage for the adoption of the 2012
Gothenburg Amendments
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Gothenburg Protocol
• 1999 Gothenburg Protocol to Abate Acidification,
Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone:
‒ Contained emission ceilings and commitments to use best
available technologies for NOx, SO2, VOC and ammonia to further
address transboundary impacts
• 2012 Amendments:
‒ Added Particulate Matter including Black Carbon
‒ Protocol includes giving a priority to reducing black carbon as a
component of PM to achieve PM reductions and cites the benefits
for reducing the impacts on climate
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Black Carbon Language in the
Amended Gothenburg Protocol
Highlights
• Article 3 Basic Obligations
– In taking steps to reduce emissions of particulate matter, each Party should seek reductions
from those source categories known to emit high amounts of black carbon, to the extent it
considers appropriate.
– Each Party should apply best available techniques to mobile sources and stationary sources,
and, as it considers appropriate, measures to control black carbon as a component of
particulate matter.
•
Article 4 Exchange of information and technology
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Create conditions to facilitate the exchange of information, technologies and
techniques, with the aim of reducing emissions … particulate matter, including black
carbon, by promoting, inter alia:
»
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Development and updating of databases on best available techniques, including those that increase
energy efficiency, low-emission burners, good environmental practice in agriculture and measures
that are known to mitigate emissions of black carbon as a component of particulate matter.
Article 6 Strategies, policies, programmes, measures and information
– Each Party should, to the extent it considers appropriate, also develop and maintain
inventories and projections for emissions of black carbon, using guidelines adopted by
the Executive Body
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Black Carbon Language in the
Amended Gothenburg Protocol
Highlights (continued)
• Article 7 Reporting
– Each Party should also report, where available, its emissions inventories and
projections for emissions of black carbon, using guidelines adopted by the
Executive Body.
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Article 8 Research, development and monitoring
– The Parties shall encourage research, development, monitoring and
cooperation related to:
• The improvement of emission databases,
• The improvement of monitoring techniques and systems and of the modelling of
transport, concentrations and depositions of … particulate matter, including
black carbon;
•
Article 10 Reviews by the Parties at sessions of the Executive Body
– The Executive Body shall include in its reviews under this article an evaluation
of mitigation measures for black carbon emissions, no later than at the second
session of the Executive Body after entry into force of the amendment
contained in decision 2012/2.
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Arctic Council
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ACAP SLCF and Contaminants
Expert Group*
• Undertaking projects to reduce short-lived climate forcers and
contaminants (SLCFCs) in the Arctic region, taking into account the
needs of indigenous populations.
• Range of projects includes: problem scoping, source identification
via emission inventories, mitigation, and analysis of instruments,
measures and strategies to reduce emissions.
• Important targets:
– Diesel black carbon
– Residential wood combustion
– Wildfires
– Agricultural burning
– Industry
– Heating & power sectors
– End-of-Life Equipment
* Formerly known as Project Steering Group
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SLCFC-Black Carbon Projects in
ACAP pipeline
ACAP-Approved Projects
• Norway-Finland led Black Carbon Reduction from Residential
Wood Stoves (completed)
• US-led Reduction of Black Carbon from Diesel Sources in the
Russian Arctic (being implemented)
• US – Arctic Black Carbon Case Studies Platform (being
implemented)
• NEFCO/US - Valday Cluster Upgrade for Black Carbon Reduction
in the Republic of Karelia, Russian Federation (being
implemented)
Projects Under preparation:
• Russia – System for Black Carbon Emissions Impact Management
from sources in the Russian Arctic
• NEFCO – Russian Arctic-Barents Region Short-lived Climate
Pollutants Mitigation Project
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AMAP Climate Issues 2015: Summary
for Policy Makers
• Need to improve the scientific basis for Arctic Council
work on SLCPs:
– Improve the spatial, temporal, and sectoral resolution of
anthropogenic emissions
– Include increased monitoring, research, and modelling.
– Consider SLCP mitigation options in an integrated manner
that takes into account SLCPs, greenhouse gases, and coemitted air pollutants
– Include in this integrated work the assessment of the costeffectiveness of measures to reduce SLCPs and co-emitted
air pollutants
– Address the co-benefits to human and ecosystem health
from actions on carbon dioxide, SLCPs, and other air
pollutants
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Framework for Action
Common Vision for Enhanced Action
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First time that a voluntary framework addressing black carbon (and methane) was
adopted by Arctic Council nations.
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High-level political commitments of the Arctic States, and does not have binding
obligations under international law
Commit to:
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Take enhanced, ambitious, national and collective action to accelerate the decline in
overall black carbon emissions and to significantly reduce overall methane emissions
Provide black carbon inventories starting in 2015 (intended to leverage, not duplicate,
efforts under LRTAP) as part of national report, including mitigation actions, to be
submitted once for each two-year cycle of AC chairmanship
Establish an aggregate summary of black carbon and methane emissions
Adopt an ambitious, aspirational and quantitative collective goal on black carbon, and to
consider additional goals, by the next Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in 2017
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Calls upon Observers to join in these actions given significant Arctic impacts of
black carbon emission from non-AC states
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Desired outcome is greater transparency, improved quality of information,
incentivize further emission reductions, measure collective progress over time
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Other International Efforts to Address
Black Carbon
• Climate and Clean Air Coalition
‒ Formed in 2012 to raise awareness about short-lived climate pollutants
(SLCPs) and their impacts and bring together different stakeholders to
collectively take urgent action at a global, national and local level
accelerating reduction of SLCPs, including black carbon.
‒ Partners include nearly 40 countries and more than 50 international
organizations.
• Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
‒ Clean cooking solutions are a promising approach to mitigating SLCPs.
‒ Household air pollution also contributes to ambient air quality
problems.
‒ Global Alliance launched in 2010 with the goal of clean cooking in 100
million homes by 2020.
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Common Themes
• Improve Our Understanding of:
– Inventories and source data
– Mitigation options
– Best available technology
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Promote best practices
Raise Awareness
Value of and commitment to reporting
Value of collective action
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How Black Carbon Information
Can Impact Policy
• Greater understanding of the emissions and climate and health effects
of black carbon as a constituent of PM2.5 can influence policy by:
• Encouraging countries to chose strategies that reduce black carbon when
implementing the particulate matter programs mandated by national
legislation
• Accelerating expected black carbon emission reductions by promoting
earlier adoption of technology for mobile and other sources
• Providing information on climate benefits of black carbon reductions to
complement the robust literature of PM-related health effects
• Expanding the body of knowledge on black carbon will also help
promote international policies and programs to reduce short-lived
climate pollutants
• More complete information on emissions, potential control options, and
local, regional, and global scale impacts will support implementation of
effective black carbon mitigation efforts.
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Appendix I
Black Carbon Language in the Amended Gothenburg Protocol
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Black Carbon Language in the
Amended Gothenburg Protocol
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Preamble
– Recognizing the assessments of scientific knowledge by international
organizations, such as the United Nations Environment Programme, and
by the Arctic Council, about the human health and climate co-benefits of
reducing black carbon and ground-level ozone, particularly in the Arctic
and in the Alpine regions,
– Noting furthermore that this Protocol is the first agreement under the
Convention to deal specifically with reduced nitrogen compounds and
particulate matter, including black carbon.
Article 2 Objective
– A further objective is that Parties should, in implementing measures to
achieve their national targets for particulate matter, give priority, to the
extent they consider appropriate, to emission reduction measures which
also significantly reduce black carbon in order to provide benefits for
human health and the environment and to help mitigation of near-term
climate change.
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BC Language in the Amended
Gothenburg Protocol (cont’d)
• Article 3 Basic Obligations
– In taking steps to reduce emissions of particulate matter, each Party
should seek reductions from those source categories known to emit
high amounts of black carbon, to the extent it considers appropriate.
– Each Party should apply best available techniques to mobile sources
covered by annex VIII and to each stationary source covered by
annexes IV, V, VI and X, and, as it considers appropriate, measures to
control black carbon as a component of particulate matter, taking into
account guidance adopted by the Executive Body.
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BC Language in the Amended
Gothenburg Protocol (cont’d)
• Article 4 Exchange of information and technology
– Each Party shall, in a manner consistent with its laws, regulations and
practices and in accordance with its obligations in the present Protocol,
create favourable conditions to facilitate the exchange of information,
technologies and techniques, with the aim of reducing emissions of
sulphur, nitrogen oxides, ammonia, volatile organic compounds and
particulate matter, including black carbon, by promoting, inter alia:
• (a) The development and updating of databases on best available
techniques, including those that increase energy efficiency, low-emission
burners, good environmental practice in agriculture and measures that are
known to mitigate emissions of black carbon as a component of
particulate matter;
• (b) The exchange of information and experience in the development of
less polluting transport systems;
• (c) Direct industrial contacts and cooperation, including joint ventures; and
• (d) The provision of technical assistance.
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BC Language in the Amended
Gothenburg Protocol (cont’d)
• Article 5 Public awareness
– 1. Each Party shall, in a manner consistent with its laws, regulations
and practices, promote the provision of information to the general
public, including information on:
• (a) National annual emissions of sulphur, nitrogen oxides, ammonia, volatile
organic compounds and particulate matter, including black carbon, and progress
towards compliance with the emission reduction commitments and other obligations
referred to in article 3;
• Article 6 Strategies, policies, programmes, measures and
information
– Each Party should, to the extent it considers appropriate, also develop
and maintain inventories and projections for emissions of black
carbon, using guidelines adopted by the Executive Body
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BC Language in the Amended
Gothenburg Protocol (cont’d)
• Article 7 Reporting
– Each Party should also report, where available, its emissions
inventories and projections for emissions of black carbon, using
guidelines adopted by the Executive Body.
– Upon the request of and in accordance with the timescales decided by
the Executive Body, EMEP and other subsidiary bodies shall provide
the Executive Body with relevant information on:
• (a) Ambient concentrations and depositions of sulphur and
nitrogen compounds, as well as, where available, ambient
concentrations of particulate matter, including black carbon,
volatile organic compounds and ozone;
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BC Language in the Amended
Gothenburg Protocol (cont’d)
• Article 8 Research, development and monitoring
– The Parties shall encourage research, development, monitoring
and cooperation related to:
• The improvement of emission databases, in particular those on
particulate matter, including black carbon, ammonia and volatile
organic compounds;
• The improvement of monitoring techniques and systems and of the
modelling of transport, concentrations and depositions of sulphur,
nitrogen compounds, volatile organic compounds and particulate
matter, including black carbon, as well as of the formation of ozone
and secondary particulate matter;
• The improvement of the scientific understanding of the potential cobenefits for climate change mitigation associated with potential
reduction scenarios for air pollutants (such as methane, carbon
monoxide and black carbon) which have near-term radiative forcing
and other climate effects;
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BC Language in the Amended
Gothenburg Protocol (cont’d)
• Article 10 Reviews by the Parties at sessions of
the Executive Body
– The Executive Body shall include in its reviews under
this article an evaluation of mitigation measures for
black carbon emissions, no later than at the second
session of the Executive Body after entry into force of
the amendment contained in decision 2012/2.
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Appendix II
Black Carbon Language in the Framework for Action on
Enhanced Black Carbon and Methane Emissions
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Take Action Nationally
• National actions, action plans or mitigation strategies
– Setting of aims and objectives
– Implementing policies and regulations
– Identifying best practices and awareness-raising activities
• Improved emission information and inventories
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Develop and improve emission inventories and emission projections for BC
using, where possible, relevant guidelines from the Convention on LongRange Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP)
– Improve the quality and transparency of information related to emissions of
black carbon
– enhance expertise on the development of black carbon inventories, including
estimation methodologies and emissions measurements, by working jointly
through the Arctic Council and other appropriate bodies
• National Reporting
– Including summary of current black carbon emissions to CLRTAP, where
appropriate, and, if available, future projections
– Summary of National Actions, National Action Plans, or Mitigation Strategies
by sector
– Highlights of best practices or lessons learned for key sectors
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Enhance Collective Action
• Continually driving mitigation ambition
– Two-year iterative process driven by an Expert Group
– Periodically assess the progress made under this Framework
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Science, research and monitoring
– Improve the understanding of black carbon and methane emissions,
emission inventories, Arctic climate and public health effects, and policy
options.
– Four-year cycle of periodic scientific reporting
• Assessment of status and trends of short-lived climate pollutants such as black
carbon and methane
• Focus on the impacts of anthropogenic emissions on Arctic climate and public
health.
• Increasing awareness
• Project and sector based activities
– Based on best available technologies and practices for concrete reductions
of black carbon and methane emissions in different sectors of the economy
– The Arctic Chair may select a particular sector or area for focused attention
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Promote Action By Others
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Arctic Council Observers
– Emissions substantially impact the Arctic
– Robust mitigation action by Arctic Council Observer States is vital for overall
success
– Requested to actively participate in the implementation of the Framework
by:
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Strengthening their domestic actions
Developing robust emission inventories
Taking part in relevant meetings
Submitting national reports
• Other stakeholders
– Private sector has an important role in reducing emissions, developing new
technologies, and sharing best practices
– Funding institutions can promote financing of activities and mainstreaming
consideration of these emissions into broader funding decisions.
• International and regional forums and agreements
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