Australian federal Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek has announced a new bill intended to introduce “stronger measures to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and continue to play its part in helping heal the world’s ozone layer”. In addition to ozone-depleting substances, the legislation also manages synthetic greenhouse gases such as HFCs like … Continue reading Ozone laws updated as report finds ‘Black Summer’ bushfires damaged the ozone layer
The United States and China have made a joint commitment of mutual cooperation to phase down HFCs under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, following meetings in Shanghai between US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and China Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua. Among the world’s largest producers and consumers of HFCs, the two … Continue reading US, China get serious on HFCs
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has reported that ozone layer depletion reached record levels over large parts of the Arctic in spring. Monitored ozone levels over the Arctic in March are typically at least 240 Dobson Units (DU) – with a DU representing a 0.01mm-thick layer of pure ozone at standard temperature and pressure (STP). … Continue reading Extreme weather, CFC damage result in record Arctic ozone depletion
New regulations and permit schemes in the works New Zealand environment minister David Parker has announced that the country will delay its ratification of the Kigali Amendment by 12 months. The year-long hiatus is to allow New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to carry out the required health and safety amendments before ratification … Continue reading NZ to ratify Kigali in late 2019
A staggering 32 executives from HVAC and refrigeration companies have written to US President Donald Trump and urged him to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. The letter, which was copied to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, represented the views of companies such as Honeywell, Chemours, Dow Chemical, Ingersoll Rand, Arkema and Fujitsu … Continue reading US wavers on Kigali
Talks start for real in Geneva after years of deadlock By Refrigerants Australia executive director Greg Picker, reporting from Switzerland Negotiations on an HFC phase-down began in Geneva in April this year. These talks are noteworthy because for the first time since the proposal to phase down HFCs was suggested in 2009, there was agreement … Continue reading HFC phase-down hope
The July 2015 Open-Ended Working Group (OWEG) of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol meeting in Paris came agonisingly close to setting the mandate to commence negotiations for a global phase-down of HFCs like R134a under the Montreal Protocol. Proceedings were adjourned as time ran out in the French capital, meaning the talks are likely … Continue reading World edges closer to HFC phase-down
Ozone-depleting substance phaseout in Oz ahead of developed world Australia has taken a kicking for environmental performance lately, with stalled investment in renewable energy and climate change policy labelled as embarrassing, but this country should at least be proud of its performance when it comes to meeting its obligations under the Montreal Protocol. What’s more, … Continue reading Australia kicking Montreal Protocol goals
There has been a lot of promising progress toward a global phase-down of HFCs under the Montreal Protocol in recent months, with just a couple of spanners in the works. Many are hopeful that an international agreement will be forged his year with the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol meeting … Continue reading Global HFC phase-down progress
