On The Right Track

Context: India has done well to ratify the Montreal accord amendment.

Need for Kigali Agreement:

• Reducing the emissions: The elimination of HFCs at the global level is estimated to stave off GHG emissions equivalent to around 105 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
• Ozone repair and temperature control: it would help avoid up to 0.5 degrees Celsius rise in temperature by the end of this century, even while allowing the ozone layer to repair itself.

India and the Kigali Agreement

• India has been a party to the adoption of the amendment to the Montreal Protocol at Kigali (Rwanda) in 2016 that called for the gradual elimination of the hazardous chemicals commonly used as cooling agents. 
  • These substances mostly fall in the category of hydro-fluorocarbons (HFCs) which are injurious to the earth’s ozone layer that protects it from the harmful ultra-violet radiation coming from the sun. 
  • Though HFCs were introduced as non-ozone depleting alternatives to the relatively more hazardous Hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), they acted as highly potent greenhouse gases (GHGs). The aim now is to replace all these chemicals with safer substitutes.
• HFC discontinuation strategy: To be crafted by 2023 in consultation with the various stakeholders.
  • Indications are that this would involve a four-phased cutback schedule aimed at a cumulative reduction of 10 % by 2032, 20 % by 2037, 30 % by 2042 and 85 % by 2047— in line with the target of eliminating them by the late 2040s.
• Foster indigenous manufacturing: Incidentally, the local refrigeration industry, which had earlier been demanding financial and technical assistance from the developed countries, now seems ready to fend for itself with the indigenous research and development (R&D) effort.
  • The upcoming R&D might also make greater use of natural coolants, such as butane, propane and ammonia that already exist in the environment.
  • The technology developers would need to focus more on improving the energy efficiency of the cooling equipment to bring down their operational cost and make them more environment-friendly.