Next-Generation Super Pollutant Solutions: Challenges and Opportunities
Super Pollutants – greenhouse gases other than CO2 – represent some of the most potent yet often overlooked drivers of climate change. They Pound for pound these gases, which include methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), ozone (O3), and fluorinated gases (F-gases), are substantially stronger greenhouse warmers than CO2, so their abatement represents an important component of climate mitigation. Solutions to reduce their emissions span a wide spectrum of maturity and economic viability: from proven technologies ready for deployment today to technically feasible approaches still requiring optimization to frontier innovations that have yet to be discovered.
This event focuses on frontier innovations for hard-to-abate super pollutant emissions, focusing on emission sources that currently lack viable solutions for adequate abatement. The needed solutions differ significantly across sectors, from agriculture and waste to oil and gas and industrial processes. Yet the challenges facing researchers, developers, and policymakers advancing these new solution approaches often run parallel: understanding the emission sources, identifying technical and economic barriers to solutions, and forging new partnerships that can collectively accelerate solutions to market.
The MIT Climate Project will convene super pollutant researchers, technology developers, funders, NGOs, policymakers, and industry leaders during New York Climate Week to tackle this challenge head-on. Through an introductory presentation and facilitated panel discussion, participants will explore the specific innovation frontiers, identify the critical gaps we must address across the spectrum of super pollutant solutions, and chart a path for turning next-generation breakthroughs into credible, real-world climate impact.
Event Details: Tuesday, September 22 8:00–10:00 am, followed by open networking from 10:00–11:00 am. Breakfast will be provided.