Capacity Building for Black Carbon mitigation efforts: a roadmap for cross-border activities (KO5106 CB4BC)

In climate change science and mitigation policy making, the role of black carbon has been growing. It is estimated that by the total climate forcing, black carbon is now the second most important human emission type after carbon dioxide. Black carbon has an important role in the climate system with several direct, semi-direct and indirect effects. It absorbs solar radiation, influences cloud processes, and increases the melting of snow and ice. In addition to climate concerns, black carbon as an air pollutant has considerable human health effects causing morbidity and premature mortality.
Arctic nations are responsible for about a third of the Arctic warming caused by black carbon, even though they produce only about 10% of global human black carbon emissions. Most black carbon particles do not travel far from their source, so emissions produced closest to the Arctic tend to have the greatest impact.
The central aim of the project was to construct a Black Carbon mitigation roadmap for decision-makers in three regions. An important objective of the roadmap was to strengthen the regions through a transfer of the gathered knowledge, experiences, and circumstances. There is a need for cross-border co-operation and implementation of best practices and best available technologies. Leader of this project was Lapland University of Applied Sciences (LUAS) and partners were the Kola Science Center (KSC) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Arctic University of Norway (UiT).