New Zealand phases down HFCs to address climate change

New Zealand is phasing down the use of the powerful greenhouse gases called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in the air-conditioning and refrigeration industries, to help address climate change, said Environment Minister Nick Smith on Saturday.

"This plan to phase down the use of HFCs is an important part of the government's policies for addressing climate change," Smith said at the Bluegreens breakfast of the ruling party, National Party's northern conference.

These synthetic gases are up to 15,000 times more potent in their global warming effect than carbon dioxide (CO2) and are projected to by themselves raise temperatures by 0.5 degree Celsius by the end of the century, he said.

The plan proposes to progressively reduce HFC consumption by more than 80 percent by 2036, "meaning that New Zealand will meet its international commitments ahead of schedule," Smith said.

It will enable New Zealand to ratify the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol early next year and it will also contribute towards New Zealand's Paris commitment of reducing its overall greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030, he said.

The Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol was agreed last October at a meeting in which New Zealand strongly advocated extending the scope of the Montreal Protocol to address the global warming impacts of HFCs.

"The phase down of HFCs will have implications for New Zealand industries like air conditioning and refrigeration that will need to convert to new technologies. Consumers with heat pumps will not need to upgrade them but future replacements will need to use new technologies," Smith said. Endit