UNEP-WMO Study Says Tackling Black Carbon And Ozone Can Retard Global Warming

A study by UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) states that reducing black carbon and tropospheric ozone will slow the rate of climate change within the first half of this century. According to the study, “Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone”,  scientific evidence and new analysis demonstrate that control of black carbon particles and tropospheric ozone, by quickly implementing emission reduction measures, would have immediate and multiple benefits.

The report is quick to caution that this does not by any measure mean letting CO2 off the hook. On the contrary, the success of CO2 containing measures is likely to encourage additional activities to address the short term impact of black carbon and tropospheric ozone.

The issue of black carbon and the significance of its impact on the climate has been identified but little understood till date. In the absence of definitive research, the impact of reduced soot on climate change has not been well understood.

Now, the UNEP-WMO study claims that reducing emissions by fully implementing identified measures would have immediate impacts on climate change including reducing future global warming by 0.5˚C. Further, it would have substantial benefits in the Arctic,the Himalayas and other glaciated and snow-covered regions.

Indeed, the report contends that the measures of reducing emissions could reduce warming in the Arctic in the next 30 years by about two-thirds compared to the reference scenario, with all the associated lowering of risk of changes in weather patterns and increase in global warming.

The measures that would reduce black carbon emissions range from installing diesel particle filters for road and off-road vehicles to elimination of high-emitting vehicles in road and off-road transport. The UNEP-WMO report lists a series of measures in the residential space including replacing coal by coal briquettes in cooking and heating stoves, introduction of pellet stoves and boilers, using fuel made from recycled wood waste or sawdust to replace current wood-burning technologies in the residential sector in industrialized countries and the introduction of clean-burning biomass stoves for cooking and heating in developing countries.

The report recommends substitution of clean-burning cookstoves using modern fuels for traditional biomass cookstoves in developing countries, replacement of traditional brick kilns with vertical shaft kilns and Hoffman kilns and replacement of traditional coke ovens with modern recovery ovens.

Photo Courtesy: Global Alliance For Clean Cookstoves

2010 UNEP Sasakawa Award for TWP Cook Stove Program

Trees, Water & People has been named co-laureate for the 2009-10 UN Environment Program (UNEP) Sasakawa Prize.

The project spearheaded by TWP works in partnership with local NGOs and self help groups in order to distribute fuel efficient cook stoves in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti and Nicaragua.

TWP has helped in providing and building more than 35,000 stoves which has benefited more than 175,000 people so far.

TWP offers a variety of stove models to meet the needs of different communities while conserving trees and decreasing emissions from deforestation. The Justa Stove burns 70% less wood, saving families between US$1 - $5 per day. They also decrease harmful carbon emissions by 1 tonne CO2 equivalent per year per stove for domestic users and 3.5 tonnes CO2 equivalent per year for commercial users, such as tortilla makers.

In order to supplement the trees used in the fuel-efficient stoves, the project also includes reforestation efforts to sequester carbon and counter the effects of deforestation. TWP has assisted in the creation of 16 community-run nurseries that produce 650,000 trees each year. TWP’s reforestation efforts have led to the planting of three million trees to date throughout Latin America.

The accolade also includes $200,000 which TWP will use in supporting and expanding the fuel efficient stove projects and nurseries across indoor air pollution affected countries that include Central America and the Caribbean as well as purchasing necessary equipment and materials which will help in boosting the production of smoke less cook stoves.