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Opportunities for Climate Change Mitigation Under the Montreal Protocol |
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WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Jul. 27 -/E-Wire/--
Countries will gather in September to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the world's most effective international environmental agreement - the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The global community must unite and adjust the Montreal Protocol to become an important tool in the global fight against climate change.
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Argentina and Brazil jointly submitted proposals accelerating the phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) to strengthen the Montreal Protocol. Three small island and coastal States - Micronesia, Mauritius, and Mauritania - submitted similar proposals to avoid the dire consequences of climate change jeopardizing their existence. Additional proposals to accelerate the HCFC phase-out were submitted by the United States and jointly by Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.
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HCFCs are a group of chemicals used mainly as coolants in air conditioners and grocery stores and to make insulating foams and other products. They are being used as temporary substitutes for chlorofluorcarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-depleting substances that are even more dangerous to the ozone layer and climate system. HCFCs were intended to be replaced once superior substitutes became available.
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Eliminating HCFCs could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25 billion tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent-roughly five times the emissions reductions of the world's climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol. Some HCFCs are more than a thousand times more powerful at warming the planet than carbon dioxide.
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Scientists are warning that rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are fast approaching the "tipping point" for abrupt and irreversible climate change. This tipping point could be just 10 years away if climate emissions are not reduced. Abrupt changes to the climate could trigger rapid rises in sea level, more powerful storms, droughts, and floods, diminished agriculture production, and shortfalls in freshwater supply.
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Leaders of many developed countries expressed support for the adjustments on June 7th at the G8 Summit Declaration committing to "accelerating the phase-out of HCFCs in a way that supports energy efficiency and climate change objectives," and noting that "Improving energy efficiency worldwide is the fastest, the most sustainable and the cheapest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance energy security... [and] ... could contribute to 80 percent of avoided greenhouse gases while substantially increasing security of supply."
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Argentina and Brazil are leading the push to strengthen the Montreal Protocol, along with a coalition of other developing countries focused on strengthening the Montreal Protocol to do its share to address climate change. The United States also submitted a proposal, and has been very supportive to strengthening the ozone layer and climate benefits of the Montreal Protocol. With such leadership, the determined and persistent proponents of changing the Montreal Protocol are capable of changing the world.
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Whether or not the international community will come together to help evolve the Montreal Protocol into an effective climate treaty will be decided in September.
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"Frequently Asked Questions" regarding accelerating the phase-out of HCFCs is available at www.igsd.org. These provide technical answers and citations to key documents and sources. Contact Info:
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Mr. Alexander (Sascha) von Bismarck
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Campaigns Director, Environmental Investigation Agency
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Tel : +1 202 483 6621
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E-mail: saschavonbismarck@eia-international.org
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Ms. Kelly Rain
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Law Fellow, Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development
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Tel : +1 202-338-1300
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E-mail: krain@inece.org Website : the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development
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