factsheet_slcp_020113-b97d22459b0cfc70.pdf

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute explains the role of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs)—including black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)—in global warming. It argues that while carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary driver of long-term climate change, reducing SLCPs can provide rapid, short-term benefits to slow the rate of warming and improve public health and food security.

• Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) are gases and particulates with atmospheric lifetimes of less than 20 years that are responsible for approximately half of the global warming not caused by carbon dioxide (CO2). Because they dissipate quickly, reducing SLCPs can lead to rapid drops in atmospheric concentrations and a quick reduction in warming impacts, offering a way to slow climate change over the next several decades.
• Black carbon (soot) is a particulate that warms the climate more intensely than CO2 over short timeframes. It has an average atmospheric lifetime of two to three weeks, but one ton can have a warming effect equal to 1,000-2,000 tons of CO2 over 100 years, and potentially over 4,000 tons over 20 years. Beyond atmospheric warming, black carbon accelerates ice melt in the Arctic and Himalayas by darkening snow and ice surfaces, and contributes to over three million annual deaths via air pollution.
• Methane (CH4) has an atmospheric lifetime of 12 years and a significant warming potential, with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 75 times that of CO2 over a 20-year period. The primary source of methane emissions is oil and gas production, followed by coal extraction, wastewater, landfills, and agriculture. Methane also contributes to the formation of tropospheric ozone.
• Tropospheric ozone and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) further contribute to warming. Tropospheric ozone is not directly emitted but forms from precursors like methane and nitrogen oxides; it suppresses crop yields and harms ecosystems, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. HFCs, used in refrigeration and aerosols, are the fastest-growing set of greenhouse gas emissions and are expected to double within a decade.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (n.d.). factsheet_slcp_020113-b97d22459b0cfc70.pdf. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_SLCP_020113.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. factsheet_slcp_020113-b97d22459b0cfc70.pdf. n.d. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_SLCP_020113.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=factsheet_slcp_020113-b97d22459b0cfc70.pdf |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_SLCP_020113.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitutendfactsheetslcp020113b97d22459b0cfc70pdf, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{factsheet\_slcp\_020113-b97d22459b0cfc70.pdf}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_SLCP_020113.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }