While carbon dioxide is the primary focus of climate change discussions, almost half of global warming recorded to date comes from pollutants that disappear from the atmosphere within weeks.
Known as “super pollutants,” their presence is rapid but mighty, trapping heat far more effectively than carbon and therefore commanding a greater warming effect. But super pollutants are nowhere to be found on the official agenda of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP30, in Belem, Brazil, except for a few nods to methane.
Still, super pollutants are starting to gain more attention. A report from the United Nations Environment Programme released at COP30 found that methane emissions are still rising but that proven, low-cost measures could cut them by up to 45% within 15 years — avoiding significant near-term warming. There’s a slow and rising push for super pollutant reduction efforts to count toward countries’ climate change mitigation plans, which could potentially unlock the climate finance that comes with those targets.