Decades of research have established the impact of black carbon (BC) on local, regional and global climate and public health. Yet, global progress in reducing BC emissions has been slow. This paper finds out why, and assesses potential solutions by focusing on five key countries, namely Brazil, China, India, Nigeria and the United States.
With inputs from the 2023-24 Global Future Council on the Future of Clean Air, the paper examines current trends, optimal reduction strategies, co-benefits and obstacles to implementation of actions to reduce black carbon, and provides initial recommendations on how to scale these up both in these countries and globally.