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Article

10 Oct 2016

Author:
Lou Del Bello, Climate Home

Govt. leaders discuss amending Montreal Protocol to limit use of highly-pollutant gas

"The Paris Agreement of refrigeration - a bluffer's guide," 7 Oct 2016

…Unfortunately hydrofluorocarbons…are a timebomb for the climate…[N]ational delegates meet in Kigali…to try and agree a phase-out…Scientists calculate that replacing…[HFCs]…with greener alternatives could prevent global warming of 0.35-0.5C by 2100. It may not sound like much, but…[l]ow-lying island states say the difference between 1.5C and 2C is a life or death matter…HFCs were introduced relatively recently, to replace the…chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) banned under the Montreal Protocol…Now, the plan is to repeat the trick for HFCs, using the same treaty. The small number of companies producing ozone-depleting gases helped to keep the process manageable in 1987. Observers believe that the same industry-driven process could happen this year in Kigali…After the Paris Agreement, there is momentum for a deal. But political differences remain…Vincent Biruta, Rwanda’s minister for natural resources, told Climate Home…“Countries have various concerns depending on their status as consumers or manufacturers. We need to take all of these into consideration and make sure there is enough to bring everybody on board.”

[Also refers to Chemours and Honeywell.]

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