Atmospheric particles

Current estimates of hydrogen’s climate impact are now sufficiently robust to inform policy and business decision-making, according to researchers in a new review article on the climate impacts of hydrogen emissions.  

Pulling together experts on hydrogen from 12 institutions throughout Europe, HYway, a new research project funded by the European Union sets out to provide an understanding of the climate and environmental risks and co-benefits of a hydrogen economy – and to advise on options for addressing those risks. 

The use of alternative fuels could be one way for the aviation sector to reduce its emissions. A new study of fuel use in domestic flights in Norway shows some mitigation potential for alternative fuels, but warns that these alternatives are neither emission-free nor climate-neutral.

In the future, an increase in turbulence will alleviate the intensity of near-surface air pollution, according to a new paper by CICERO researchers published in Nature Communications. The findings bring a positive message showing the added benefits of mitigation.

While air pollution from PM2.5-emissions have been reduced in Europe and North America, air pollution from wildfires is increasing. With climate change, we will see more wildfires, risking that the impacts of the efforts that have been made to mitigate air pollution and related negative health effects could be diminished. 

The dangerous impacts of aerosol changes on vulnerable regions should have been a priority at COP27 after climate policymakers agreed a breakthrough deal to support these parts of the world, scientists have claimed.

The aviation industry’s response to climate change relies mainly on cleaner fuels and carbon offsetting. Government and industry must experiment with other approaches to bring the climate impact of aviation closer to zero, argues researchers in a Nature commentary. 

Aviation accounts for 3.5% of the human-made climate impact. Two-thirds of this impact are caused by emissions other than co₂, a new study shows.

COMMENTARY: Despite the complexity of the climate system, there is a rather simple relationship between the long-term temperature increase and the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted. Why, then, is there no clear answer to how much we can emit?