Countries aim to phase down production, consumption of HFCs

As many as 196 countries that are party to the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer met here today to work on an amendment to phase down the production and consumption of global-warming-inducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
The parties agreed to first resolve the challenges including lack of data, identified under the "Dubai Pathway on HFCs" adopted last year.
HFCs are used in air conditioning, refrigeration, foams and aerosols as replacement for many ozone depleting substances.
"An agreement to phase down HFCs under the Montreal Protocol would avoid an estimated 105 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, and up to 0.4 C of global warming by the end of the century, while continuing to protect the ozone layer," the negotiators said.

Montreal Protocol parties will hold the Third Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties, to be specifically convened to address the HFC issue tomorrow and on July 23.
The Extraordinary Meeting will include a ministerial roundtable focusing on how Montreal Protocol parties can move forward in 2016 to deliver on the mandate of the "Dubai Pathway on HFCs".

Indian delegation will participate in the discussions along with ministers and high-level participants from Bahrain, Canada, Indonesia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, the US, United Nations and others.
"The parties will discuss issues related to alternatives to ozone-depleting substances, terms of reference for a study on the funding needed for the replenishment of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol for the 2018-2020 period," an official statement said.

This year, Montreal Protocol parties have achieved the final phase-out of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) with the phase-out of CFCs used in metered-dose inhalers, a significant milestone following 30 years of concerted global action to protect the ozone layer.
Earlier in the day, India had pitched for formation of guidelines for enhancing flexibility, developing methodologies and ensuring transparency in phasing out of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) for limiting increase in Global warming.