State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Environ Sci Technol. 2024 Apr 9;58(14):6077-6082. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09420. Epub 2024 Mar 31.
The and the are two of the most important environmental conventions being implemented concurrently, with a focus on reducing carbon and mercury emissions, respectively. The relation between mercury and carbon influences the interactions and outcomes of these two conventions. This perspective investigates the link between mercury and CO, assessing the consequences and exploring the policy implications of this link. We present scientific evidence showing that mercury and CO levels are negatively correlated under natural conditions. As a result of this negative correlation, the CO level under the current mercury reduction scenario is predicted to be 2.4-10.1 ppm higher than the no action scenario by 2050, equivalent to 1.0-4.8 years of CO increase due to human activity. The underlying causations of this negative correlation are complex and need further research. Economic analysis indicates that there is a trade-off between the benefits and costs of mercury reduction actions. As reducing mercury emission may inadvertently undermine efforts to achieve climate goals, we advocate for devising a coordinated implementation strategy for carbon and mercury conventions to maximize synergies and reduce trade-offs.
《联合国气候变化框架公约》和《关于汞的水俣公约》是目前同时执行的两项最重要的环境公约，分别侧重于减少碳和汞排放。汞和碳之间的关系影响着这两项公约的相互作用和结果。本观点探讨了汞和 CO 之间的联系，评估了这种联系的后果，并探讨了这一联系的政策影响。我们提出了科学证据，表明在自然条件下，汞和 CO 水平呈负相关。由于这种负相关关系，预计到 2050 年，在当前减少汞的情况下，CO 水平将比不采取行动的情况下高出 2.4-10.1ppm，相当于因人类活动导致 CO 增加 1.0-4.8 年。这种负相关关系的潜在原因很复杂，需要进一步研究。经济分析表明，减少汞排放的好处和成本之间存在权衡。由于减少汞排放可能会无意中破坏实现气候目标的努力，因此我们主张制定一项协调的《联合国气候变化框架公约》和《关于汞的水俣公约》实施战略，以最大程度地发挥协同作用并减少权衡。
