Reports and Documents

Black carbon is a component of soot, released during combustion, particularly incomplete combustion of fossil fuels or biomass. It is released when carbon is only partially combusted. The main sources of black carbon emissions are burning of biomass in inefficient cooking stoves, diesel emissions from the transport sector and from

Montreal Protocol, the multilateral treaty to protect the ozone layer, has been a successful environmental agreement. But an impasse over restricting the use of extremely potent greenhouse gases marred the Protocol’s 25th anniversary celebrations on September 16, 2012.

In 2008, the EU decided to extend the scope of its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) to include emissions from the aviation sector. What was applicable only to stationary sources within the EU, starting January 1, 2012 applies to all flights that arrive in or depart from an EU airport.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the debate on the link between extreme weather-related events and climate change has regained more relevance. Sandy, however, is only the most recent of an increasing number of extreme weather-related events that have led to a loss of lives and wreaked economic damage.

Equity has been central to the multilateral negotiations on climate change mitigation and adaptation between the South and the North.