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The importance of phasing down hydrofluorocarbons and other short-lived climate pollutants

Author

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  • Durwood Zaelke
  • Nathan Borgford-Parnell

Abstract

While negotiations continue for a United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) by December 2015 to take effect in 2020, a parallel effort to achieve fast climate mitigation is needed under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol) to slow current impacts and reduce risks of passing tipping points that trigger self-amplifying feedback mechanisms that accelerate warming. Fast reductions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), including black carbon (BC), methane (CH 4 ), tropospheric ozone (TO 3 ), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), can cut the rate of climate change in half by mid-century and by two thirds in the Arctic. The Montreal Protocol can be used to quickly phase down production and consumption of high global warming potential (GWP) HFCs, which can avoid 0.1 °C of warming by 2050, and 0.5 °C by 2100, while catalyzing improvements in appliance energy efficiency, which will provide further climate change mitigation by reducing energy use and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, particularly in fast-growing economies like India and China. The simultaneous global deployment of existing technologies can reduce emissions of BC, CH 4 , and TO 3 by enough to avoid an additional 0.5 °C of warming by 2050, while providing immediate benefits for human health, agriculture, and sustainable development. Fast action to reduce the four SLCPs will reduce the risk of setting off irreversible feedback mechanisms and provide urgent optimism and momentum for a successful UN climate treaty in 2015. Copyright AESS 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Durwood Zaelke & Nathan Borgford-Parnell, 2015. "The importance of phasing down hydrofluorocarbons and other short-lived climate pollutants," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 5(2), pages 169-175, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:5:y:2015:i:2:p:169-175
    DOI: 10.1007/s13412-014-0215-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Tareq K. Al-Awad & Motasem N. Saidan & Brian J. Gareau, 2018. "Halon management and ozone-depleting substances control in Jordan," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 391-408, June.
    2. Ning Liu & Carl Middleton, 2017. "Regional clustering of chemicals and waste multilateral environmental agreements to improve enforcement," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 899-919, December.
    3. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Griffiths, Steve & Kim, Jinsoo & Bazilian, Morgan, 2021. "Climate change and industrial F-gases: A critical and systematic review of developments, sociotechnical systems and policy options for reducing synthetic greenhouse gas emissions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).

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