International Programs
Addressing Black Carbon in the Russian Arctic
Black carbon is formed by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels, and biomass. Black carbon has significant human health imacts. Part of the mixture known as soot, black carbon is the component of particulate matter which most strongly absorbs light.
Black carbon directly absorbs incoming sunlight, causing warming of the atmosphere. In addition, when black carbon is deposited on snow and/or ice, it reduces the amount of sunlight that would ordinarily be reflected, causing further warming and increasing the rate of melting. This has significant implications for ice and snow melt in the Arctic.
Because black carbon remains in the atmosphere for only a short time, when emissions of black carbon are reduced, atmospheric concentrations of black carbon decrease almost immediately. Therefore, reducing black carbon emissions can help prevent near-term warming and associated effects on snow, ice and precipitation. Reducing black carbon will also improve human health.
Black Carbon Diesel Initiative
In the Arctic, mobile and stationery diesel engines are among the largest sources of black carbon emissions. Off-road mobile sources include locomotives, ships, construction vehicles, and farming equipment, all using diesel fuel. On-road mobile sources include vehicles such as cars, buses and trucks. Across the diesel sector, substantial black carbon reductions are possible. For example, in the United States, changes in fuel quality/composition, advances in engine design, and use of emission control technologies can reduce black carbon emissions from heavy duty in-use diesel engines by up to 99%. These efforts will also lead to improved air quality and corresponding improvements to public health.
Diesel engine in Harsaim in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug of the Russian Arctic.
Under the Black Carbon Diesel Initiative, EPA is engaging with partners from government agencies; US Arctic and Russian NGOs; Russian and Arctic stakeholders; indigenous communities and observer groups to assess diesel sources of black carbon in the Arctic and develop demonstration projects, policy recommendations and financing options.
In October 2011, EPA hosted complementary diesel black carbon workshops in Moscow 
at the European Union Delegation to the Russian Federation and at the Ministry for Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation.
Experts from Russia and other Arctic Countries shared information and technologies on reducing diesel emissions, black carbon and improving the efficiency of energy systems in remote areas of the Arctic. Potential demonstration projects and next steps were identified.
Over 60 people attended, representing 6 Arctic countries, the United States, Russia and international organizations. The workshop also included site visits to Salekhard and Murmansk in the Russian Arctic to meet with local officials and experts and to visit stationary and mobile diesel engine sites to learn more about the diesel black carbon issues there.
Over the next several years, EPA will work on a four step project to reduce black carbon emissions in the Russian Arctic. Specifically, EPA will work to:
- assess primary sources of black carbon in the Russian Arctic
- develop a baseline emission inventory for black carbon from diesel sources
- implement targeted, on-the-ground demonstration projects for reducing black carbon from diesel and
- establish policy recommendations and financing options for reducing black carbon diesel sources.
While EPA's work will be focused in the Russian Arctic, the project will collaborate more broadly to reduce diesel black carbon emissions across the Arctic.
Results of this project will be reported to the Arctic Council through the Arctic Contaminants Action Program (ACAP), and to the US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission through the Environment Working Group (EWG).
To coordinate the project, ACAP has set up a Black Carbon and Short-Lived Climate Forcers (BC/SLCF) Project Steering Group, which is being led by US EPA and co-chaired by Norway, Sweden and Russia. This steering group is comprised of the key Arctic stakeholders who will help implement the project on the ground.
Site visit in Murmansk, October 2011.
History of the United States Black Carbon Program in the Arctic
The Arctic Council Task Force on Short-Lived Climate Forcers was established with the Tromsø Declaration at the 6th Arctic Council's biennial ministerial meeting in April 2009, and focused initially on black carbon. In August 2011, this task force produced a technical report, An Assessment of Emissions and Mitigation Options for Black Carbon for the Arctic Council, , and a Progress Report and Recommendations for Ministers for consideration at the 7th Arctic Council ministerial meeting, held in Nuuk, Greenland, in May 2011.
Within the framework of the Copenhagen Summit in December 2009, Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, announced the Administration’s intention to commit $5 million towards international cooperation to quantify emissions and impacts of black carbon from fossil fuel and biomass burning, and to reduce black carbon emissions and the associated warming effects in and around the Arctic.
The US Department of State has prioritized reducing black carbon in the Russian Arctic, and has sought EPA's expertise in reducing diesel emissions to address this challenge. The U.S. Department of Energy is also responding by developing collaborative programs on combined heat and power to attempt to address some of the key residential sources of black carbon. The U.S. Forest Service is working on reducing black carbon from forest fires and agricultural burning in the Russian Arctic.
Learn more:
- Explore EPA Programs in Russia
Back to: International Organizations
Contacts
For additional information on EPA's work on the Russian Black Carbon initiative, the BC/SLCF Project Steering Group and EPA's work in Russia, contact:
Jane Metcalfe
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of International and Tribal Affairs (2670R)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
E-mail: metcalfe.jane@epa.gov
(202) 564-6600
For additional information on EPA's work with the Arctic Council, contact:
Hodayah Finman
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of International and Tribal Affairs (2670R)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
E-mail: finman.hodayah@epa.gov
(202) 564-6600