By 2050, if measures are adopted to combat short-lived pollutants, Latin American and Caribbean countries could reduce the regional temperature increase by 0.9ºC. The estimate is from a report released this April by the UN Environment Program, which warns of the risks to health, nature and agricultural production of substances such as methane, carbon black, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and ozone. The UN agency’s study points out that reductions in these chemical compounds could lead to a 26% drop in the number of premature deaths caused by air pollution by fine particles. When considered the deaths associated with ozone contamination, the index could reach 40%.
The UN Environment Agency estimates that in 2010, 64,000 people died in Latin America and the Caribbean from exposure to these materials. Strategies to mitigate short-lived pollutants would also prevent annual losses of 3 to 4 million tonnes of staple crops. According to the survey, in 2010, ozone was responsible for a loss of 7.4 million tonnes in agricultural products, such as soybeans, corn, wheat and rice. According to the UN analysis, by 2050, premature mortality, associated with fine particles and ozone, could double. Already agricultural losses could reach 9 million tons per year.
The UN Environment Program reminds us that the atmospheric warming potential of short-lived pollutants is much higher than that of carbon dioxide, which could reach a thousand times higher than the rate attributed to carbon dioxide. Agriculture, transport and domestic and commercial refrigeration are respectively the major contributors to methane emissions; black carbon and fine toxic particles; and hydrofluorocarbons.
Solutions
The UN report presents measures to reduce the emissions of these compounds that deregulate the climate and threaten life on the planet. To combat methane, changes are needed in four key sectors – oil and gas production and distribution, waste management, coal mining and agriculture. The research recommends practices of capture and use of the gases released in the production of oil and gas; separation and treatment of municipal solid waste that are biodegradable; and capture of biogas from cattle manure. By 2050, strategies could reduce methane emissions by 45%.
The volume of black carbon released in the Latin American and Caribbean countries can also fall considerably – by 80% – by 2050. To this end, governments must adopt standards equivalent to the European standard to regulate diesel vehicles, as well as incorporate filters for particles released by the fuel in these automobiles. Other initiatives required are the disposal of high-emission vehicles; the modernization of kitchens and greenhouses; and the prohibition of open burning of agricultural waste.
In the case of hydrofluorocarbons, the UN Environment Program recommends replacing these compounds with alternatives that have no impact on climate change. HFCs are mainly used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems, as well as in the manufacture of insulation foams and aerosol firing mechanisms. By 2020, the consumption of these substances is expected to double. Once in the environment, they remain 15 to 29 years in the atmosphere. “Many countries are already implementing measures to eliminate emissions from the transportation and energy sectors, but their application is not uniform in the region,” says Helena Molin Valdés, head of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat.
“More demanding public policies and greater control of contamination can boost economic incentives and benefits for climate action, health, agriculture and sustainable development. It is essential to act swiftly. “To the director of the UN Environment for Latin America and the Caribbean, Leo Heileman, nations should be inspired by the solutions presented by the survey. “If the countries of the region adopt them, they will contribute to keep the temperature increase of the planet below the threshold of 2ºC established in the Paris Climate Agreement,” said the representative of the international organization. The Integrated Short-Term Climate Pollutants Assessment report is the first of its kind prepared by the United Nations agency and brings together 90 authors, coordinated by a group of experts. The publication was launched by the UN in partnership with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.