Research on Urban Air Pollutant Emissions and Co-control Strategies with Climate Action

Dear Colleagues:

Climate change increasingly represents humanity’s gravest environmental challenge, and will likely cost the world 25-30 trillion dollars a year by 2050. Air pollution is our current (Swiss Re, 2021) and most pressing environmental challenge, accounting for roughly 7 million deaths per year, at a current cost of 30 trillion dollars per annum (World Bank, 2021).

The Paris Agreement has spurred 133 countries, covering 83% of global emissions and 91% of global GDP, to commit to net zero emissions between 2030 and 2060. However, an equivalent Paris Agreement on air pollution does not exist. Only 61% of countries measure air pollution, and an even lower 53% publish the data (Open AQ, 2022). No countries have adopted the WHO guidelines on air quality. While the world has committed to a net zero future, no countries have committed to delivering healthy air.

Air pollution is also entwined with climate change because the emissions driving both development problems come largely from the same sources (e.g. fossil fuel or biofuel burning). Furthermore, as there are also air pollutants that lead to cooling such as sulfates and nitrates, policies that do not optimize climate change mitigation and air quality simultaneously run the risk of causing unanticipated tradeoffs or ‘win–lose’ outcomes. Explicitly targeting the mitigation of SLCPs, while incorporating air pollution considerations more broadly into climate change and development efforts is therefore a logical step to address these inextricably linked issues.

This Special Issue will explore the synergies on integrated air quality and climate action, highlighting the ways in which air pollution emissions standards have accelerated the adoption of renewable energy and electromobility. The works published will discuss how a lack of integration has led to false solutions that have come at a cost to air pollution standards.

Overall, we aim to showcase policies that have contributed to the synergistic reduction of criteria and climate pollutants, highlight how the integration of climate policy and air quality management increases the cost-effectiveness of mitigation policies, and propose policies that will allow science to more effectively exploit these synergies.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

atmospheric modelling; emissions modelling; cost–benefit analysis; effect of carbon pricing in mitigation of emissions; black carbon; electrification of heating, cooking and transportation; leapfrogging technologies; energy poverty; renewable energy policy; emissions standards; green hydrogen.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Marcelo A. Mena-Carrasco
Dr. Sarath Guttikunda
Guest Editors

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