We have roughly four years of emissions left at current levels in the 1.5°C carbon budget. While 119 countries, representing 74% of global emissions, have updated their Nationally Determined  Contributions (NDCs), they remain insufficient to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C [1]. Even under the latest NDCs, global temperatures are projected to rise by 2.3 – 2.8 degrees C  

[1]. 

Public discourse on climate change mitigation has largely focused on carbon dioxide emissions.  While CO2 is the largest contributor to long-term warming, Short-Lived Climate Pollutants  (SLCPs) account for nearly half of current warming [3.4]. These pollutants remain in the  atmosphere for relatively short periods but have significantly higher near-term warming  potential. For instance, black carbon, with an atmospheric lifetime of roughly 12 days, has a  global warming potential of 1,055 –2,240 times that of CO2 [5]. Despite this, climate policy  continues to rely on 100-year Global Warming Potential (GWP100) metrics, which understates  the urgency of addressing these pollutants [6].  

SLCPs also impose significant environmental and social costs, particularly in the Indian context.  Black carbon emissions in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, driven by industrial activity, biomass  burning, and the use of inefficient household fuels, accelerate glacier melt in the Himalayas,  threatening long-term water security. High ozone concentrations have also been linked to  substantial agricultural losses in the Indo-Gangetic Plains [5]. These pollutants are also a major  contributor to air pollution, which is associated with millions of premature deaths annually [4]. These impacts highlight the close alignment between SLCP mitigation, public health outcomes,  and agricultural productivity. 

Mitigation measures focused solely on long-term decarbonization, while essential, are  insufficient to keep global warming below the 1.5 degrees C threshold [3]. Addressing climate  change, therefore, requires a dual policy approach: sustained decarbonization to limit long-term  warming, complemented by near-term action targeting SLCPs [3]. Owing to their short  atmospheric lifetimes, reductions in SLCPs can yield rapid cooling benefits and could halve the  rate of global warming in the near term [3, 5].  

However, the sources of SLCP emissions are highly diverse, ranging from biomass and fossil  fuel combustion to agriculture, waste management, and industrial and vehicular emissions. In  this context, a conventional command-and-control regulatory approach is likely to be both  administratively burdensome and ineffective. Effective enforcement would also require high quality emissions data, continuous monitoring, and substantial regulatory capacity, all of which  remain constrained in India. Moreover, prescriptive regulations can discourage firms from  exceeding compliance thresholds, limiting incentives for innovation and the adoption of  advanced abatement technologies [7, 8]. 

This necessitates exploring alternative policy instruments. First, the government can explicitly  prioritize SLCP mitigation and incentivize private investments in abatement technologies.  Voluntary carbon markets already support methodologies for activities such as alternative 

wetting and drying in paddy cultivation, methane capture from landfills, clean cooking  transitions, and sustainable agricultural practices. Strategic purchase of high-integrity credits  generated through these activities could help scale mitigation while delivering co-benefits in air  quality and rural livelihoods.  

Second, market-based regulation through emissions trading systems offers a flexible approach.  India’s upcoming Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) can be expanded to cover select  SLCPs, such as nitrogen oxides and black carbon, from industries. This would allow regulated  entities to meet emissions targets at lower cost while encouraging innovation [7, 8]. Additionally,  strengthening monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems is critical to ensuring the  credibility of emissions reductions and supporting informed policymaking. Improved data  transparency can enhance accountability and build trust among market participants. 

With time running out, SLCP mitigation presents a high-impact opportunity to deliver rapid  climate benefits. Reductions in SLCPs can eliminate up to 90% of their warming impact within a  decade, far faster than CO2 mitigation alone. Incorporating SLCPs into India’s climate policy  architecture can complement long-term decarbonization efforts, enhancing policy effectiveness,  fostering innovation, and strengthening India’s ability to meet its Paris Agreement commitments.  

Acknowledgement

The Institute for Youth in Policy would like to acknowledge Adwaya Yesare for editing this op-ed.

References

[1] World Resources Institute (WRI). “COP30 Outcomes and Next Steps.” Accessed April  2026. https://www.wri.org/insights/cop30-outcomes-next-steps 

[2] Global Carbon Budget. “The Global Carbon Budget 2025: FAQs.” Accessed April 2026. https://globalcarbonbudget.org/gcb-2025/the-global-carbon-budget-faqs-2025/

[3] Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD). “About Us.” Accessed April 2026. https://www.igsd.org/about-us/ 

[4] Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC). “Short-Lived Climate Pollutants.” Accessed  April 2026. https://www.ccacoalition.org/content/short-lived-climate-pollutants 

[5] Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD). “A Primer on Non-Carbon  Dioxide Pollutants in India.” Accessed April 2026. https://www.igsd.org/publications/primer-on-non-carbon-dioxide-pollutants-in-india/ 

[6] GHG Management Institute. “IPCC AR6 Methane Global Warming Potential (GWP)  Tables.” Accessed April 2026. https://ghginstitute.org 

[7] Greenstone, M., Harish, S., Pande, R., & Sudarshan, A. “The Solvable Challenge of Air  Pollution in India.” National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER).  Accessed April 2026. https://www.ncaer.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/The-Solvable-Challenge-of-Air-Pollution-in-India_Michael-Greenstone-Santosh-Harish-Rohini-Pande Anant-Sudarshan.pdf 

[8] Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC). “A Roadmap Towards Cleaning India’s Air.” Accessed April 2026. https://epic.uchicago.in/wp content/uploads/2018/08/POLICY-BRIEF-A-ROADMAP-TOWARDS-CLEANING INDIAS-AIR-1-1.pdf