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Integrating indirect greenhouse gases into climate frameworks (about 15% of warming caused by largely ignored sources)
https://www.sparkclimate.org/explainers/indirect-greenhouse-gases.htmlAbout 0.3°C of current warming — roughly 15% — comes from compounds largely ignored by global climate policy. Most of this warming is from “indirect greenhouse gases” that have minimal direct climate effects, but trigger chemical reactions that can warm the planet.
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What are indirect greenhouse gases?
Indirect greenhouse gases have minimal direct climate effects, but they trigger chemical reactions in the atmosphere that can increase greenhouse gas concentrations — especially ozone and methane.
Why now?
Where do indirect greenhouse gases come from?
Human activities have considerably increased indirect greenhouse gas emissions beyond natural levels. Natural sources can also be perturbed by land use change, climate change, and rising carbon dioxide levels.
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Ilissa Ocko et al. ,Integrating indirect greenhouse gases into climate frameworks. Science 392,1134-1137(2026).DOI:10.1126/science.aee5790…
What are indirect greenhouse gases?
Indirect greenhouse gases have minimal direct climate effects, but they trigger chemical reactions in the atmosphere that can increase greenhouse gas concentrations — especially ozone and methane.
Why now?
- As we decarbonize fossil fuels, some indirect greenhouse gases emissions may actually increase — for example, leaks from hydrogen infrastructure. Accounting for these effects is critical to avoiding unintended climate consequences.
- Indirect greenhouse gases increase tropospheric ozone, a deadly air pollutant linked to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year. Reducing these emissions would save lives and reduce warming.
Where do indirect greenhouse gases come from?
Human activities have considerably increased indirect greenhouse gas emissions beyond natural levels. Natural sources can also be perturbed by land use change, climate change, and rising carbon dioxide levels.
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