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U.K. Has Prospect for 'Significant' HFC Reductions, Study Shows
2010-10-20 15:13:54.529 GMT
By Ewa Krukowska
Oct. 20 (Bloomberg) -- The U.K. has made considerable
progress in reducing emissions of hydrofluorocarbons, the potent
industrial gases that trap heat, and technological changes
create prospects for further "significant" cuts, a study showed.
Emissions of HFCs in the U.K. will peak at 11.2 million
tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent in 2012 before falling to 8.9
million tons in 2020 and 5.3 million tons in 2050 as industries
turn to more efficient systems and alternative refrigerants,
according to the study prepared by climate and energy
consultancy AEA and published today by the U.K. Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Governments worldwide are considering whether to phase out
production of HFC-23, an industrial gas used mainly in
refrigeration, whose warming potential is 11,700 times more
powerful than carbon dioxide. Separately, the European Union
regulator is preparing a proposal to impose quality restrictions
on imported offset credits related to industrial gases that can
be used for compliance in the EU carbon market.
"Post 2012, leakage rates are likely to further improve
and the use of lower global-warming potential refrigerants are
likely to make a bigger impact, reducing the HFC emissions
gradually," the report said.
The European Commission, the EU's regulator, intends in
coming weeks to propose extra quality conditions for UN credits
awarded for tackling emissions of HFC-23, which is a by-product
of HCFC-22, used in air-conditioning and refrigeration. The
commission is concerned that projects generating offsets may be
increasing HCFC-22 output simply to get credits for controlling
HFC-23 discharges, handing investors windfall profits.
Clean Development
Regulators of the UN carbon program, the Clean Development
Mechanism, are also ramping up scrutiny after allegations that
some developers are seeking excessive credits related to HFC-23.
The CDM Executive Board is planning to decide whether the
methodology for awarding those offsets should be changed at its
meeting in November.
"The results in the study, together with further domestic
analysis, will be used to inform a review of the existing EU
framework for controlling emissions that has recently got under
way," Defra said in an e-mailed statement today.
Separately, governments worldwide are considering phasing
out production of HFC-23 under the ozone-protection rules of the
Montreal Protocol.
Draft measures before a meeting of the parties next month
include a proposal by the U.S., Mexico and Canada to cut HFCs to
15 percent of baseline by 2033 in developed nations and by 2043
in developing countries. The Federated States of Micronesia are
proposing that HFCs be reduced to 10 percent of baseline by 2030
in developed nations and 2036 in developing countries.
For Related News and Information:
Emission market news NI ENVMARKET <GO>
Today's top energy stories ETOP <GO>
European power-markets home page EPWR <GO>
--Editors: Todd White, Reed Landberg
To contact the reporter on this story:
Ewa Krukowska in Brussels at +32-474-620-243 or
ekrukowska@bloomberg.net;
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Stephen Voss at +44-20-7073-3520 or sev@bloomberg.net
