The 30th Meeting of the Parties (MoP30) to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer opens in Quito, Ecuador on Monday 5 November 2018. To coincide with this meeting, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is releasing a new update on China’s illegal CFC-11 emissions crisis.
Tip of the Iceberg: Implications of Illegal CFC Production and Use includes independent laboratory tests of polyurethane (PU) foam samples – provided by Chinese enterprises previously investigated by EIA – that confirm the presence of CFC-11 as a blowing agent.
Clare Perry, EIA UK Climate Campaigns Leader, said: “The scale and impact of this illegal trade shows how the Montreal Protocol’s current compliance and enforcement regime is not fit-for-purpose.
“With the Kigali Amendment coming into effect in 2019 and bringing with it additional challenges for enforcement, the need for decisive action is particularly urgent.
There has never been a greater need to make all possible reductions to greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change; the steps the Protocol takes now will either make or break its reputation as the most successful environmental treaty ever.”
EIA is urging Parties to the Montreal Protocol to address a number of remaining unanswered questions, in particular the absence of comprehensive data regarding the size of current banks of CFC-11 in PU foam and other products or equipment.
Avipsa Mahapatra, EIA US Climate Campaign Lead, said: “The new lab test results corroborate the veracity of statements made by these companies about using and trading in CFC-11 blowing agents. One of the companies claimed to be the largest supplier of PU foam polyols in the region and used CFC-11 in 90-95 per cent of their production.”
“EIA commends China for taking and publicising immediate and widespread enforcement actions. Still, it is critical that all Parties not treat illegal CFC-11 trade as an isolated enforcement issue, but rather work together to holistically address the drivers of this environmental crime.
There is a high likelihood that CFC-11 has already been exported in fully formulated polyols to other countries; it’s important to carry out targeted testing of foam products and raw materials to investigate the potential export of or import of CFC-11 in these products.”
In addition, a number of large seizures of CFC-12, another ozone-depleting substance (ODS), have occurred in several countries, while Europe is already experiencing illegal HFC trade as a result of significant supply cuts under the EU F-Gas Regulation.
EIA advocates several urgent measures, including a global ban on disposable cylinders and the reporting of ODS and HFCs contained in fully formulated polyols. It further recommends that the Protocol sets up a task force to examine current and future banks of CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs.
* Read Tip of the Iceberg: Implications of Illegal CFC Production and Use here
* Environmental Investigation Agency https://eia-international.org/
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