Experts push for climate friendly alternatives to HFCs

Climate change experts have called for introduction of climate-friendly alternatives to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), in a bid to save the earth's ozone layer from harmful green gas emissions.

Speaking at a session dubbed "safety and international standards in refrigeration and air conditioning, transitioning to safe and efficient alternatives" on Wednesday at the ongoing 28th Meeting of Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP28) in the Rwanda Capital, Kigali, panel of experts argued that suitable climate-friendly alternatives must show sufficiently high energy efficiency.

Rwanda hosts the high level forum from 8th to 14th October 2016 at the Kigali Convention Centre with an aim of reaching a global agreement on an ambitious amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down the production and consumption of HFCs.

"Countries across the globe both industrialized and developing must ensure availability of climate-friendly, energy efficient, safe and proven alternatives as we look forward towards phasing out HFCs," said Dr Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, Head of OzonAction Branch, at the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

She added that the suitability of a certain alternative must be considered separately for each category of product and equipment and in some cases also taking into account the level of ambient temperature at the location where the product and equipment is being used.

Climate experts noted that countries should be in a position to support actions that allow safe market introduction, as well as manufacturing, operation, maintenance and handling of zero Global Warming Potential (GWP).

However, Didier Coulomb, Director of the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR), an intergovernmental science and technology based organization, emphasized that governments must constructively coordinate efforts to update global and national standards to protect public health while incorporating new scientific and technical developments.

"By agreeing to phase down the production and consumption of HFCs in the Montreal Protocol, industrialized nations must lead efforts to develop climate friendly, safe alternatives to HFCs," he noted.

At the meeting experts observed that there is increased recognition of the need for coordination on updating standards under the Montreal Protocol to build capacity for safe alternatives to HFCs.

HFCs are chemicals used in air conditioning, refrigeration, foams and aerosols as replacements for many ozone-depleting substances that are being phased out under the Montreal Protocol.

Montreal Protocol is regarded as the world's most effective environmental treaty and expectations are high in Kigali for the next action on climate change -- beginning with the ambitious amendment of the protocol. Endit