African ministers of the environment at the 17th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment called for fast action on short lived climate pollutants, methane, tropospheric ozone, black carbon and HFCs for climate action, also urging for rapid ratification of the Montreal Protocol’s Kigali Amendment.
Phasing down HFCs has the potential to avoid up to 0.5°C of warming by the end of the century. Simultaneous improvements in energy efficiency in refrigeration and AC equipment during the transition to low-GWP alternative refrigerants can potentially double the climate benefits of the HFC phasedown of the Kigali Amendment.
Taking fast, ambitious action to reduce SLCPs- methane, tropospheric ozone, black carbon, and HFCs— can cut the rate of global warming in half and Arctic warming by up to two-thirds and deliver multiple benefits for sustainable development and human well-being.
India’s EESL will soon begin selling seven-star rated Voltas inverter-air room conditioners (RACs) at a discount price of ₹41,500 (US$604) for a 1.5-tonne unit, which is cheaper than a five-star rated AC. The price reduction is the result of EESL bulk procurement of 50,000 RACs.
The China Cooling Action Plan sets forth targets for cooling-product energy efficiency improvement by 2022 and 2030. The Plan also describes key cooling-related priorities for China. IGSD‘s English translation of the China Cooling Action Plan and the associated transmittal Circular is available here.
To reduce the worst of climate impacts, it is fundamental to understand Earth’s Polar Regions. IGSD’s Primer on Polar Warming examines the current state of the climate in the Poles, projections of change for the future, and highlights fast mitigation strategies to reduce warming, especially through cuts to SLCPs.
At their bilateral meeting during President Xi’s visit to France in March 2019, both leaders agreed to work together to promote ratification and implementation of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and to promote the improvement of energy efficiency standards in the cooling sector.
Cutting HFCs is a key pathway for the deep decarbonization needed to keep the planet relatively safe. IGSD’s chapter on Fluorinated Gasses is part of ELI’s Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the U.S., now available for purchase.
A new article in the fall 2018 issue of Natural Resources & Environment (American Bar Association), by IGSD attorneys Xiaopu Sun and Richard Ferris, examines the Kigali Amendment’s and China’s critical roles in evolving the Montreal Protocol into a full-fledged climate treaty.
At Super Pollutant Day IGSD promoted the multiple benefits of mitigating super climate pollutants, including their critical role in keeping warming well below 2ºC, the outer limit set by the Paris Agreement. Watch IGSD president, Durwood Zaelke’s presentation here.
