A public policy think tank releases a report on global decarbonization pathways. The report describes the relative contribution of each GHG to modern climate change and recommends focusing global efforts on CO2 reduction.
Why would the think tank make this recommendation?
CO2 is responsible for approximately a 2.25 w/m2 increase in radiative forcing. This is a significant factor in modern climate change, making CO2 reduction a crucial focus for mitigating global warming. Higher radiative forcing implies a greater influence on the energy balance of the Earth's atmosphere, contributing substantially to temperature increases. Reducing CO2 emissions can thus have a pronounced impact on controlling climate change compared to other greenhouse gases.
C or D since “1.5.2 Other Greenhouse Gases and Aerosols The next most important greenhouse gas is methane (CH4), which has increased from 0.8 ppm before the industrial revolution to about 1.9 ppm in 2020. This might seem like a small increase, particularly compared to the 130-ppm increase in carbon dioxide, but methane is a far more powerful greenhouse gas on a permolecule basis—each kilogram of methane traps as much heat as 28 kilograms of carbon dioxide.”