India has agreed to freeze production of HFCs in 2028:Govt

Aiming to curb global warming and facilitate enough carbon space for growth of domestic industry and the economy, India has agreed to freeze production and consumption of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in 2028 and start reducing it from 2032 ownwards.
This was agreed in the 28th meeting of parties to Montreal protocol held in October 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda, said a statement by Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave in the Rajya Sabha, which was tabled in the House by Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju.
The Kigali meeting adopted an amendment to the Montreal Protocol which is historic and aimed at phasing down HFCs that contribute to global warming.

Highlighting the outcome of the meeting, Dave said: "I am happy to inform the House that India has been able to secure an agreement that provides adequate space for growth of our economy, while providing adequate time for industry to shift to sustainable alternatives in the interest of environment."
As per the agreement reached in Kigali, he said: "India will freeze its manufacturing and consumption of HFCs in 2028 and start reducing it from 2032 to 2047 with reference to the base line years 2024, 2025 and 2026".
India has agreed to phase out 10 per cent of HFCs in 2032, 20 per cent in 2037, 30 percent in 2042 and 85 per cent in 2047, he said, adding that the freeze year was subject of technology review and could be further deferred to 2030.

"The agreement facilitates adequate carbon space for growth on domestic industries while minimizing the cost to the economy during the transition period," he said.

Since the Montreal protocol had no arrangement till date to incentivise improvement in energy efficiency in case of use of new refrigerant, it was "agreed in Kigali that multilateral funds under the Montreal protocol will pay for maintaining or increasing energy efficiency with new technology."
The funding for R&D and servicing sector in developing countries has also been included in agreed solutions on finance, he added.
As per the agreement, the developed countries would reduce the production and consumption of HFCs by 70 per cent in 2029.

"India represents only around 2 per cent of the global production and consumption of HFCs but our manufacturing and consumption sector is expected to grow at a rapid pace in future. Our challenge, therefore, was to secure international agreement on a regulatory regime that served the global expectations and yet protect our national interest," he said.
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Dave said the negotiation for phasing down of HFCs under the Montreal Protocol were initiated in 2009, but it gained momentum only after India submitted an amendment proposal for phasing down of HFCs in April, 2015.
"India has been a strong advocate of the principle of Common but differentiated Responsibility in the matter of global actions to protect environment and also the national circumstances need to be factored in for arriving at any durable agreement related to climate," he added.

The success of negotiations in Kigali is a result of the spirit of collective action, accommodation and flexibility by all the parties to ensure the best possible outcome which addresses the needs of all countries and leads to maximum climate benefits.
The agreed arrangements would minimise the cost to consumers in transitioning away from HFCs and provide for domestic innovation to develop in the sector of new generation refrigerants and related technologies, Dave said in the suo-moto statement.
The agreement reflects the global ambition, but allows India to take necessary steps for protection of environment and domestic economy in a longer time frame, he added.