Recent record-breaking temperatures have sparked scientific debate about whether Earth’s climate may be warming faster than previously understood. While carbon dioxide remains the primary driver of global warming, researchers are examining the role of sulphur pollution, which forms particles that reflect sunlight back into space and partially counteract warming effects.
During this period, clean-air policies implemented across North America, Europe, and Asia have significantly reduced sulphur emissions from power plants, ships, and other industrial sources. These policies successfully addressed health hazards and environmental damage from acid rain and air quality issues. However, scientists increasingly believe this reduction in sulphur pollution has removed a cooling influence on the climate. Sulphate aerosol particles also affect cloud formation, making clouds brighter and more reflective. As these particles are removed from the atmosphere—they persist for only days or weeks compared to centuries for carbon dioxide—their cooling effect dissipates almost immediately.
Researchers at institutions including ETH Zurich and the University of Leeds have analyzed temperature trends while accounting for natural climate fluctuations such as El Niño. Their work suggests the underlying rate of warming has accelerated beyond what would be expected from greenhouse gas emissions alone. Estimates indicate declining aerosol pollution may be adding approximately 0.05 to 0.1 degrees Celsius of warming per decade in some regions. One study found the effect added roughly half a degree to summer warming in western-central Europe since 1980.
Experts emphasize that while the aerosol effect is significant, it remains substantially less important than greenhouse gas warming. Scientists estimate greenhouse gases are currently contributing around 0.2 degrees Celsius of warming globally per decade. The cleaner air is not creating new warming but rather removing a masking effect that had previously suppressed the full impact of greenhouse gas emissions, revealing an underlying warming trend that may have been underestimated.
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