By Abbas Nazil
Climate experts have urged world leaders to adopt urgent measures to reduce super-pollutants, warning that immediate action could prevent millions of deaths, slow global warming and deliver economic benefits worth $1.5 trillion annually.
The call was made at the annual conference of the United Nations-hosted Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) in Bangkok, Thailand, where experts urged governments and private sector stakeholders to integrate air pollution control into global climate policies ahead of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.
Participants called on climate negotiators to establish a formal roadmap that tackles air pollution and global warming simultaneously, arguing that reducing short-lived climate pollutants could deliver faster benefits for human health and the environment than relying mainly on long-term carbon dioxide reduction strategies.
A new CCAC report, titled *Hidden Assets*, highlights the economic and health benefits of reducing pollutants such as methane, black carbon, ground-level ozone and hydrofluorocarbons, which contribute significantly to global warming and poor air quality.
According to the assessment, every dollar invested in reducing these pollutants could generate $15 in benefits globally, with returns potentially reaching $26 in Africa and $21 in South Asia.
The report estimates that implementing the necessary measures would cost approximately $9 billion annually, compared with the estimated $1.5 trillion yearly cost of inaction.
Experts said reducing super-pollutants could prevent up to 0.34 degrees Celsius of warming by 2050 and as much as 1.4 degrees Celsius by 2100, highlighting the importance of immediate interventions as the world struggles to limit temperature increases.
Super-pollutants, also known as short-lived climate pollutants, remain in the atmosphere for periods ranging from minutes to roughly a decade or longer, depending on the substance, while carbon dioxide can continue contributing to global warming for centuries.
Methane, which is emitted through oil and gas production, agriculture, livestock farming and waste management, is particularly important because of its strong heat-trapping capacity and role in forming ground-level ozone.
Other major pollutants include black carbon from incomplete combustion, hydrofluorocarbons used in refrigeration and air conditioning, and volatile organic compounds released by various industrial activities and combustion processes.
The report also warns of severe health consequences if governments fail to act. Under a no-action scenario, air pollution-related stroke cases could increase by 65 per cent, heart attacks by 78 per cent and dementia by 83 per cent by 2050.
Annual deaths associated with air pollution could rise from an estimated seven to eight million currently to approximately 15 million by the end of the century without stronger interventions.
Conversely, coordinated action could reduce annual air pollution deaths to about five million or fewer and prevent an estimated 144 million deaths by 2100.
Steven Stone of the United Nations Environment Programme said the report demonstrates that the health consequences of pollution are already affecting people through lung diseases, cancer and respiratory problems, making immediate action both a public health priority and an economic necessity.
Michael Rattinger of the Asian Development Bank also stressed that governments could begin seeing the benefits of reducing super-pollutants within a single political cycle, unlike many carbon dioxide reduction measures whose full climate benefits take decades to emerge.
Despite the opportunities, experts acknowledged that political disagreements, inadequate air quality monitoring and limited financing remain major obstacles, particularly across the Indo-Gangetic Plain and Himalayan Foothills, where pollution levels are frequently severe.
Ashish Tiwari of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development called for countries in the region to harmonise national air quality management plans with regional initiatives, while highlighting the need for stronger monitoring infrastructure and financial support.
The CCAC, hosted by UNEP, brings together governments and other organisations to address climate change and air pollution through voluntary cooperation.
Its members are increasingly incorporating short-lived climate pollutant reduction measures into their Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.
Experts said the upcoming COP31 conference offers an opportunity to strengthen international commitments, mobilise financing and accelerate practical solutions that protect public health while reducing global warming.
They emphasised that although international climate negotiations remain important, countries do not need to wait for a universal agreement before implementing measures to cut super-pollutants and improve air quality.
