Six-nation Climate And Clean Air Coalition Launched
A U.S.-led six-nation climate and clean air coalition, dedicated to taking concrete action to reduce short-lived climate pollutants, was launched in Washington, DC, on Thursday.
Besides the United States, Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico and Sweden are the founding coalition partners of the new global initiative to seize the opportunity of realizing concrete benefits on climate, health, food and energy resulting from reducing short-lived climate pollutants. The coalition will focus efforts on reducing black carbon, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and methane.
The U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) is going to be acting as the secretariat for this coalition.
Delivering opening remarks, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the coalition – the first international effort of its kind – would conduct a targeted, practical, and highly energetic global campaign to spread solutions to the short-lived pollutants worldwide. It will mobilize resources, assemble political support, help countries develop and implement a national action plan, raise public awareness, and reach out to other countries, companies, NGOs and foundations, she added.
The foundation partners are committing more than $15 million for the operational cost of the initiative. The United States has pledged $12 million of new funding, while the rest will be contributed by Canada.