* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Extending ozone treaty would support GHG
Climate change mitigation wikipedia , lookup
Climate sensitivity wikipedia , lookup
Climatic Research Unit documents wikipedia , lookup
ExxonMobil climate change controversy wikipedia , lookup
General circulation model wikipedia , lookup
Global warming controversy wikipedia , lookup
Climate change denial wikipedia , lookup
Climate change adaptation wikipedia , lookup
Mitigation of global warming in Australia wikipedia , lookup
Climate change and agriculture wikipedia , lookup
Climate change in Tuvalu wikipedia , lookup
Climate change feedback wikipedia , lookup
Economics of global warming wikipedia , lookup
Climate engineering wikipedia , lookup
Global warming wikipedia , lookup
Citizens' Climate Lobby wikipedia , lookup
Media coverage of global warming wikipedia , lookup
Attribution of recent climate change wikipedia , lookup
Fred Singer wikipedia , lookup
Climate change in New Zealand wikipedia , lookup
Effects of global warming on humans wikipedia , lookup
Economics of climate change mitigation wikipedia , lookup
Effects of global warming on Australia wikipedia , lookup
2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference wikipedia , lookup
Kyoto Protocol and government action wikipedia , lookup
German Climate Action Plan 2050 wikipedia , lookup
Scientific opinion on climate change wikipedia , lookup
Climate change and poverty wikipedia , lookup
Solar radiation management wikipedia , lookup
Climate governance wikipedia , lookup
Climate change in the United States wikipedia , lookup
Climate change, industry and society wikipedia , lookup
Kyoto Protocol wikipedia , lookup
Public opinion on global warming wikipedia , lookup
Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme wikipedia , lookup
Years of Living Dangerously wikipedia , lookup
Climate change in Canada wikipedia , lookup
Surveys of scientists' views on climate change wikipedia , lookup
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report wikipedia , lookup
15 June 2012 Extending ozone treaty would support GHG reduction goals Extending the Montreal Protocol on ozone-depleting substances to include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) could have important benefits for climate change action, say scientists in a recent analysis. HFCs are currently part of the Kyoto Protocol as greenhouse gases, but this protection will end with the expiry of Kyoto commitments this year. The Montreal Protocol, which came into force in 1989, was a global agreement to stop using ozone-depleting chemicals, primarily chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). Along with the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, of 1985, it became the first treaty in the history of the United Nations to be universally ratified. Most ozone-depleting substances are also potent greenhouse gases. Therefore, reductions in the use of ozonedepleting substances have not only protected the ozone layer, but also provided some climate protection. The benefit of the Montreal Protocol for climate, expressed as a reduction in CO 2-equivalent emissions, is about five times greater than the annual emissions reduction target for the first commitment period (2008–2012) of the Kyoto Protocol. By 2010, CFCs had been phased out completely, and HCFCs are due to be phased out by 2030. As substitutes, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are increasingly being used as they do not affect the ozone layer, in applications such as refrigeration, air conditioning, insulation foams, aerosol sprays, solvents and fire protection. Although HFCs are not ozone-depleting, they are potent greenhouse gases (GHGs), some of which will stay in the atmosphere for up to half a century. Their contribution to climate change is currently equivalent to just 1% of the effect of long-lived GHGs (such as carbon) on climate forcing, but this figure is growing and has the potential to substantially influence climate in the future if no action is taken. Provisions for controlling HFCs are included in the Kyoto Protocol, but will cease to exist when Kyoto commitments end this year. At the 2011 Durban climate negotiations, it was agreed that new commitments on GHG emissions will not come into effect until 2020. This leaves a gap of at least eight years in which the positive, protective effects of the Montreal Protocol could begin to be balanced out by the warming effects of HFCs. The researchers explain that extending the Montreal Protocol to cover HFCs could preserve its climate benefits. Proposals for amendments that would cover HFCs have already been submitted and more than 100 nations, 1 including the EU , have signed a declaration of intent ‘to pursue further action under the Montreal Protocol aimed at transitioning the world to environmentally sound alternatives to HCFCs’. The challenge for policymakers, say the researchers, is to establish how this could be accomplished. Under the Montreal Protocol, the Multilateral Fund provides financial assistance to support developing countries replace ozone-depleting substances with alternatives. Currently, however, these alternatives may include HFCs. Businesses decide which chemicals to use based on a number of different factors, such as cost and health, safety and environmental considerations. The researchers say that regulations to replace HFCs would provide a clear signal for industry. The Multilateral Fund could also provide a mechanism to support the phasing out of HFCs. The Montreal Protocol also provides other useful policy infrastructure and experience, including expert panels and regional networks, which could help speed up the implementation of any future amendment of the Protocol to cover HFCs. 1. UNEP. (2012). Decision XXII/Anx III: Annex III - Declaration on the global transition away from hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). United Nations Environmental Programme. [Online]: http://ozone.unep.org/new_site/en/Treaties/decisions_text.php?dec_id=1070 Source: Velders, G.J.M. Ravishankara, A.R. Miller, M.K. et al. (2012). Preserving Montreal Protocol Climate Benefits by Limiting HFCs. Science. 335, 922-923. DOI: 10.1126/science.1216414. Contact: [email protected] Theme(s): Air pollution, Climate change and energy The contents and views included in Science for Environment Policy are based on independent, peer-reviewed research and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Commission. To cite this article/service: "Science for Environment Policy": European Commission DG Environment News Alert Service, edited by SCU, The University of the West of England, Bristol. European Commission DG ENV News Alert Issue 288 15 June 2012