Arctic cooperation to tackle black carbon emissions

The Arctic Council Expert Group on Black Carbon and Methane (EGBCM) met in Helsinki on 20–21 September 2018. The group aims to raise awareness of climate-warming black carbon and methane emissions and give recommendations on how to cut them.

Photo: Marker Wizards

Black carbon particulars and methane gas are powerful climate pollutants, despite their relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere. By reducing their emissions, it is possible to achieve rapid results in the fight against climate change. Black carbon, or soot, has a great impact on the Arctic region as it accelerates melting.

Black carbon is warming the Arctic region

Black carbon accounts for as much as 25% of Arctic warming. It is also harmful to human health. The Arctic states’ own emissions play a key role. Sources of black carbon include on-road cars and trucks, off-road vehicles, petrochemical flaring, power plants and industrial plants using outdated combustion technology, small-scale wood burning, agricultural burning and forest fires. Russia and the United States are the greatest sources of black carbon among the Arctic states, while China and India are top emitters at global level.

The Arctic Council issued a Framework for Action(Link to another website.) on Enhanced Black Carbon and Methane Emissions Reductions in 2015 and founded an Expert Group to monitor its implementation. Two years later in 2017, the Arctic Council took a globally unique step forward and set targets(Link to another website.) to limit black carbon emissions between 25% and 33% below the 2013 levels by 2025. Methane is a greenhouse gas and therefore covered by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

New recommendations for emissions reduction agreed in Helsinki

During Finland’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council, the Expert Group on Black Carbon and Methane has been chaired by Research Professor Mikael Hildén from the Finnish Environment Institute. The Expert Group will issue its report to the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in May 2019.

In Helsinki, the Expert Group worked on updates and additions to the emission reduction recommendations to sectors emitting black carbon and methane in preparation for the 2019 report. The emission data submitted by the Arctic states and observer states were also discussed in the meeting.

Ministry for Foreign Affairs funds expert work

The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs funds the Arctic Council Expert Group on Black Carbon and Methane through the financial instrument for the Baltic, Barents and Arctic cooperation. Finland also provides funding and expert assistance to a number of regional and global initiatives that aim to raise awareness of black carbon emissions and implement practical emission-reducing projects.

Finland’s own black carbon emissions are low by global standards, but even small emissions have impact on the Arctic climate and on human health at local level. For this reason, Finland too is reviewing how to reduce our black carbon emissions. The biggest sources of black carbon in Finland are road traffic and the burning of wood.

 

 

Arctic Council
arctic region
environment