By the Global Heat Reduction Initiative

Today’s unending procession of heat waves and other climate-driven calamities makes it clear: the climate crisis is undeniably here. If we want to limit the worst consequences, we must take decisive action now. Hidden inside this growing emergency is an extraordinary opportunity. We can significantly accelerate the fight against climate change, and the energy sector has a crucial role to play. Starting today, we can deploy existing science and practical technologies that will rapidly and measurably reduce excess heat in our atmosphere and, in most cases, also save money.

To seize this opportunity, we must understand that roughly half of global warming is not caused by carbon dioxide but by climate super pollutants including methane, black carbon, tropospheric ozone, and nitrous oxide. Although climate super pollutants can be many thousands of times stronger than CO₂ as drivers of global warming, many also dissipate from the atmosphere fast. If we slash our emissions quickly and on a global scale, we’ll see results in the short term. While we must get to net zero on CO₂ to stabilize our climate in the long term, cutting super pollutants now will start reducing atmospheric heat immediately, help us avoid irreversible climate tipping points, blunt the impact of ever more costly climate disasters, and build a bridge to net zero by mid-century.