Having agreed to phase out hydrofluorocarbons, which have a high global warming potential, the Government must now convince the large refrigeration and coolant industry to switch to newer, greener alternatives
The gradual and equitable down-phase of hydrofluorocarbons received a major impetus with India changing its stance at the 26th meeting of the signatories to the Montreal Protocol in Paris. The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement on phasing-out of substances such as HFCs used in aerosols, refrigerants and solvents.
Unlike chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons, HFCs pose no direct harm to the ozone layer, and were promoted as substitutes. However, HFCs are super greenhouse gases that cause global warming several hundred times more than carbon dioxide and in climate parlance, they have high global warming potential.
The UN estimates that if HFCs manufacture is left unchecked, they could account for 19 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. India’s previous stand negated all efforts to bring HFCs under the Montreal Protocol. India argued that HFCs are not ozone-depleting and the alternative, greener technologies, most of which are patented by corporate giants in developed nations, are too expensive.
India also contested that some of these alternative gases are not completely tested, and, therefore, termed them as pre-mature substitutes. However on November 17, when French Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy Segolene Royal opened the UN talks with a call to amend the Protocol to include HFCs, India was silent on the issue even as West Asian oil-producing countries, led by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, expressed their reservations.
India’s new found firmness to check the rampant use of HFCs reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve that the country play a global role in safeguarding the environment.
The dialogue between US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister in September helped the two countries enter into an agreement for cleaner energy. The US committed one billion dollars to India to finance renewable energy and research. The two also agreed to discuss the HFC issue at the Montreal Protocol forum.
To translate this proactive and responsible stand into action, India must control and regulate the HFC production industry, mainly the chemical-manufacturing units. The short-term flip side to this change in stance is the impact it will have on India’s `1,500 crore refrigeration and coolant industry.
The inclusion of HFCs in the Montreal Protocol will necessitate a transition from current use of HFCs to the new, proprietary gases. This is likely to create a monopoly for the patent holders, besides creating a crisis of sorts in the refrigeration and coolant industry.
The Government must convey to the public and the industry, the long-term environmental benefits of this initiative. It must allay their fears and insecurities by providing necessary substitutes, without excess time lag, so that normal business remains unaffected.
The US Government has successfully encouraged industrial players to research new refrigerants that have comparatively low global warming potential for home heating as well as air conditioning units in automobiles. This effort is already paying dividends.
The American automobile industry, for instance, has set out to explore new alternatives which have a lower global warming potential. General Motors has rolled out the Cadillac XTS in North America using hydrofluoroolefin-1234yf. Now more than 1,00,000 GM vehicles using HFO-1234yf are on the road globally.
In Europe, an even larger combined number of vehicles from original equipment manufacturers, such as Hyundai, Subaru, Ford, and BMW, are using such alternatives. Several industrialised countries have proposed amendments to wean themselves off greenhouse gases. These are being promoted as alternatives to ozone-depleting HFCs.
India, on its part, has made the right move at the right time. It must now take advantage of the expertise of global platforms, such as the Montreal Protocol, to reduce consumption and production of HFCs.
Developed countries, on their part, must be encouraged to share their green technology and transfer patents to developing countries in order to maintain equity. The US especially must set the example in this regard. It must utilise the climate fund to enrich green technology in developing countries.
As demand for refrigeration and cooling soars, so will the urgency to regulate harmful green house gases such as the HFCs. With relevant green technology transfers from the developed world, coupled with domestic research and development, India can lead global efforts to regulate the usage of these substances; thereby, helping the environment and allowing future generations to breath easy.