Europe. On April 30, the European Union (EU) presented a proposal to amend the Montreal Protocol in order to control hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), greenhouse gases used in refrigeration, air conditioning, fire protection, aerosols and foams.
This EU move follows similar proposals put forward since 2009 by the US, Canada, Mexico and Micronesia, and would significantly reduce HFCs in developed countries following a phase-out schedule close to the EU Regulation on fluorinated gases, legislation adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in 2014.
The head of climate at the Environmental Research Agency (EIA), Clare Perry, said: "The EU expects developed countries to lead the way." The EU has upped the ante significantly and is now asking other developed countries to match it.
In developing countries, the EU proposes a new approach, the aim of initially limiting the growth of HFCs, followed by an agreement to negotiate a phase-out timetable for 2020. Ms Perry continued: "The EU proposal is trying to raise awareness of the fact that HFCs are generally used to replace ozone-depleting HCFCs, which developing countries have only just begun to phase out under the Montreal Protocol."
The EU estimates that over the next 40 years the cumulative reductions globally in all countries would amount to 127 gigatons of CO2 equivalent (Gt of CO2-eq).
