Mitigating Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs), such as methane, black carbon, and hydrofluorocarbons, represents a key opportunity to reduce air pollution and achieve emission reduction targets by 2030. Although Panama has achieved carbon neutrality through its forest management, which offsets CO2eq emissions, the country still generates SLCPs from sectors such as solid waste, agriculture, energy, and industrial processes. This report presents a roadmap for SLCP mitigation in Panama, integrating sustainable development and economic dynamism.

The study identifies sectoral mitigation strategies, focusing on subsectors that contribute the most to SLCP emissions, such as agriculture, livestock, transportation, energy, and waste management. Priority actions include reducing methane emissions from enteric fermentation, manure management, rice cultivation, and wastewater treatment, as well as decreasing black carbon emissions from transportation and manufacturing industries. Ambitious targets for 2050 are proposed, such as a 12% reduction in agricultural methane emissions, a 31% reduction in waste sector methane, a 28% reduction in black carbon and a 44% reduction in methane from the energy sector, and a 95% reduction in hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions from industrial processes.

The report integrates detailed technical analysis with public policy evaluation, proposing a monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) framework to ensure effective implementation of actions. This approach not only aims to reduce SLCP emissions but also aligns strategies with the country’s human development and economic growth objectives. The results of this study provide key scientific inputs for the development of effective public policies on climate change and environmental sustainability, serving as a model for future initiatives in the region.