U.S. secures private sector support for major nitrous oxide cuts in China

U.S. diplomats, with support from ClimeCo and other companies, have negotiated a reduction in nitrous oxide emissions at Chinese chemical plants, a major win in the battle against climate super pollutants.

Phil McKenna reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

• ClimeCo, a Pennsylvania-based company, has partnered with four Chinese factories to nearly eliminate nitrous oxide emissions, a potent greenhouse gas from nylon production.
• Nitrous oxide has 273 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide and is the third largest contributor to climate change, behind carbon dioxide and methane.
• Emission reductions from the Chinese plants could cut the equivalent of 45 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, likened to removing 11 million cars from the road.

Key quote:

“That is over 50 coal-fired power plants’ worth of emissions every year, year on year, that we simply can get at by working together.”

— Rick Duke, the U.S. deputy special envoy for climate

Why this matters:

Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from industrial sources could prevent millions of premature deaths linked to air pollution. These efforts highlight the potential for public-private partnerships in tackling super pollutants that drive global warming.