ICCI
has contributed its policy expertise to work with the Arctic Council and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to characterize the
impact of the classic air pollutants black carbon and ozone on cryosphere regions such as the Arctic and Himalayas. (Methane
is relatively short-lived, with a lifetime of 8-10 years but also is perhaps the main precursor to ozone in many countries.)
UNEP
together with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has estimated that Arctic temperature rise could be slowed by nearly
two-thirds if these pollutants were controlled more aggressively, with substantial health and climate benefits as well. The
UNEP/WMO Executive Summary can be found at http://www.unep.org/dewa/Portals/67/pdf/Black_Carbon.pdf, and several Arctic
Council studies at http://www.amap.no. (Check back at this page for additional summarized information and links!)
