The Arctic is warming at twice the global average rate, and it is estimated that 20-25% of Arctic warming is caused by black carbon, which is fine soot dust. Black carbon particles warm the atmosphere and when they land on the surface of snow and ice, they absorb sunlight, which accelerates the melting of snow and ice. Approximately one third of Arctic warming is caused by black carbon emitted by the Arctic Council’s member states. Black carbon also causes significant health problems worldwide.
Black carbon in the atmosphere comes from residential burning of wood and other biomass and coal, road transport, machinery, industry, power plants as well as flaring, i.e. the burning of excess oil and gas at oil production sites. At the global scale, residential small-scale combustion accounts for approximately 60% of black carbon emissions.
The Climate Leadership Coalition, the Bioenergy Association of Finland, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and the Central Association of Chimney Sweeps are launching a campaign to reduce black carbon emissions. The campaign aims to increase understanding of the impacts of carbon, to speed up the reduction of emissions and to find new solutions to reduce emissions. It encourages organisations to report on the measures they take to reduce emissions and will also involve chimney sweeps, who will educate households about measures to reduce black carbon emissions in domestic contexts. There will also be an innovation competition to find new solutions.
The campaign will be launched on 6th November 2018 and it will close on 31 March 2019. The final report, which will be delivered to the Arctic Council’s expert groups, will describe the measures that have successfully reduced black carbon emissions, the experiences gathered during the campaign as well as ideas and solutions that are applicable even outside Finland in efforts to limit black carbon emissions.
We hope to see active participation in the campaign. More information on the campaign available on the campaign website.
Schedule
31 March 2019 The report on the results
6-7 May 2019 The presentation of the report at the Arctic Council meeting
We can plan for organisation-specific activities in detail during the autumn.
Contact persons
Registration to the campaign and administration:
Anna Taimisto, anna.taimisto@clc.fi +358 40 7341432
Issues and questions concerning black carbon and reduction of black carbon emissions:
Mikael Hildén, mikael.hilden@ymparisto.fi +358 40 740 1675
Best wishes,
Jouni Keronen
Executive Director
Climate Leadership Coalition
Hannu Murtokare
CEO
Nuohousalan Keskusliitto
Harri Laurikka
CEO
The Bioenergy Association of Finland
Mari Pantsar
Director of Carbon Neutral Circular Economy Programme
The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra
Mikael Hildén
Prof. Director of the Climate Change Progamme
The Finnish Environment Institute, Syke
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