China's aerosol cuts accelerated global warming since 2010

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (Ilmatieteen laitos) and international collaborators published a study finding that reductions in China’s aerosol (fine particulate) emissions are the primary cause of accelerated global warming since 2010.

• Study results: China’s aerosol emission reductions increased global mean temperature by ~0.07 °C from 2010 to 2023 (≈0.05 °C per decade). The analysis used 8 climate models and 160 simulations, including simulations run with the EC-Earth3 model. The study was published in July in Communications Earth and Environment. (Confirmed: peer-reviewed publication.)
• Context and contacts: The study reports that reduced aerosols remove temporary cooling, revealing greenhouse gas warming; the article notes WHO estimates >4 million annual premature deaths from outdoor fine particulate matter. The work is part of the ACCC flagship (Atmosphere and Climate Competence Center). Contact: Joonas Merikanto, Vanhempi tutkija, Ilmatieteen laitos, phone 040 566 8512, email joonas.merikanto@fmi.fi.