Climate and Clean Air Coalition

Plain language summary

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) is a voluntary coalition of countries and organizations that work together to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) including methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and black carbon. Reducing SLCPs is important because SLCPs have a strong impact on climate change by rapidly increasing the speed of warming. The CCAC is the first organization to address air pollution and climate change in an integrated way.

Canada is committed to reaching the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement and fast action to reduce SLCP emissions can potentially support this by delivering up to 0.6 degrees Celsius of avoided warming.

Objective

The objective of the CCAC is to advance efforts to reduce SLCPs in developing countries in ways that protect the environment and public health, promote food and energy security, and address near-term climate change.

Key elements

The CCAC works to implement actions to reduce SLCPs in a number of sectors including:

• Heavy-duty diesel vehicles and engines;
• Cooling and HFCs;
• Municipal solid waste;
• Oil and natural gas production; and
• Agriculture.

The CCAC also works to address SLCP emissions from the cooling industry, and played a key role in developing the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal protocol to phase down HFCs. Cross cutting initiatives on national action and planning are working to mobilize awareness and further action on SLCPs.

CCAC activities are funded through a multi-donor Trust Fund housed in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and managed by a Secretariat. In addition, a world-class Scientific Advisory Panel provides scientific advice to the CCAC and to the broader climate community.

Expected results

Expected results of the CCAC include:

• Enhancing and developing new national actions to reduce the emissions of SLCPs, including by identifying and overcoming barriers, enhancing capacity and mobilizing support.
• Raising awareness of SLCPs and mitigation strategies.
• Promoting best practices and highlighting successful efforts in reducing emissions of SLCPs.
• Improving the scientific understanding of SLCPs and developing appropriate mitigation strategies.

Canada’s involvement

Canada has been an active participant since it helped found the CCAC in 2012, including holding governance roles on the CCAC Board from 2012 to 2018 and as Co-Chair from 2016 to 2018. Canada rejoined the Board in 2020 for a two-year term. Canada’s participation supports our broader climate change objectives including delivering both environmental and economic benefits, and accelerating clean technology development and deployment.

Canada has pledged $23 million CA to the CCAC’s Trust Fund from 2012-2021, and in 2022 pledged an additional $10 million CA over five years. Canada contributes to various sectoral hub work, including but not limited to Cooling and HFCs, Waste, Fossil Fuels and Agriculture.

ECCC works closely with other departments and branches to ensure a whole-of-government approach. Canada has provided strategic direction and leadership to the efforts of the CCAC since 2012, including in its roles as Co-Chair and as Board member, and by maintaining internal coordination on areas of complementarity to the organization.

Results / progress

Activities

Since 2012, the CCAC has launched a number of sectoral hubs aimed at reducing the emissions of SLCPs in the near-term, while supporting the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. These sectoral hubs include:

• Agriculture;
• Heavy-Duty Vehicles;
• Household Energy;
• Cooling and HFCs;
• Waste;
• Oil and Gas production;
• Assessments; and
• Supporting National Action and Planning

Reports

The CCAC Secretariat works with Partners to produce an annual report of activities, results, and next steps. It also maintains an electronic database of reports and resources from CCAC meetings, conferences, and events.

Results

Since its launch, the CCAC has achieved significant results:

• The HFCs initiative played a significant role in promoting the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, leading to the adoption of the Amendment.
• The CCAC has implemented activities to reduce SLCP emissions across all CCAC sectors in developing countries. Examples of activities led by Canada include:
  • Support for the development and adoption of a Global Strategy to Introduce Low Sulphur Fuels and Cleaner Diesel Vehicles under the Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicles and Engines initiative;
  • Implementation of demonstration projects in the Oil and Gas initiative to measure, monitor and effectively reduce SLCP emissions from oil and gas companies operations through the deployment of emerging technologies.
  • Development of demonstration projects n the Municipal Solid Waste sector including through implementation and financial plans.  
• 151 partners have now joined, including national governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations.
• Over $90 million US mobilized to support the CCAC’s initiatives.
• In 2018, the Scientific Advisory Panel provided input highlighting the importance of SLCPs to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 
• In 2021, the CCAC and UNEP released the Global Methane Assessment, integrating the climate and air pollution costs, and benefit considerations from methane mitigation.

The profile of SLCPs has been elevated in various international fora including at the UNFCCC Conferences of the Parties (COP) including Paris (2015), Marrakech (2016), Bonn COP (2017), and Glasgow (2021); and at major events including the California Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco (2018); and the World Environment Day (2019).