In a historic step towards realizing the Paris Agreement on climate change, nearly 200 nations  unanimously decided global phase out of super greenhouse gases, replacing them with climate-friendly alternatives. The heat-trapping organic compounds – HFCs (hydro fluoro carbons) are the super greenhouse gases used in refrigeration and air-conditioning world over.

• After night-long hectic negotiations here on the fourth day that ended early Saturday, the 28th meeting of the Parties to the 1989 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, froze the agreement to eventually eliminate the use of HFCs.
• According to the agreement, the A2 (developed) countries agreed to a baseline of 2011-2013 with cuts in HFCs beginning in 2019.
• Whereas A5 (developing) countries agreed to two sub-groups with two different baselines. The A5 Group 2 that includes India, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq – with a baseline of 2024-2026 and a freeze date of 2028.
• The remaining developing countries agreed on an early phase down with a baseline of 2020-2022 and a freeze date of 2024.
• The scheduled phase down of HFCs will help avoid close to 70 billion tons of CO2 emission equivalent which translates into shutting down of 750 coal power plants or shutting down over half of coal power stations in China.

SUPER GREENHOUSE GASES

• Hydrofluorocarbons, or “super greenhouse gases,” are gases used for refrigeration and air conditioning.
• And known as super greenhouse gases because the combined effect of their soaring use and high global warming potential could undercut the benefits expected from the reduction of other greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.
• Used as refrigerants, they were introduced by the chemical industry to replace ozone destroying CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) which have (almost) been phased out by the Montreal Protocol. HFCs are 3,830 times more potent than CO2 with a lifetime of 14 years.