US, India to convene Joint Task Force on reducing climate damaging HFCs
February 24th, 2011 - 12:52 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Feb.24 (ANI): The United States and India have agreed to convene a Joint Task Force (JTF) that will examine effective approaches to reduce the use of climate-damaging hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).
The task force is being established in recognition of the challenges faced by the current phaseout of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol).
HFCs, adopted as alternatives to HCFCs and other ozone-depleting substances, have no ozone-depletion properties yet have high global warming properties.
The newly established Task Force aims to develop options for reducing global HFC use. Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel Reifsnyder and Joint Secretary (Climate) J.M. Mauskar will co-chair the Task Force, which will include representatives from both governments as well as representatives from industry, scientists and technical experts.
The options considered by the Task Force will send clear policy signals to discourage the use of HFCs and encourage the development and commercialization of low global warming potential alternatives.
The options will be designed to provide certainty to the business community about the future of applicable chemicals and technologies.
The JTF will issue a report in August to describe the status of HFC alternatives and examine policy aspects of various approaches that would support a global reduction in HFC use.
These include national, industry-to-industry, and international options, such as bilateral approaches between the United States and India and the use of existing international agreements.
For example, last year the United States, with its North American partners Canada and Mexico, introduced a proposal to amend the Montreal Protocol to reduce the use of HFCs.
The report also will inform a broader, regional meeting on HFCs and the 31st Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, which will be held in Bangkok from August 1-5, a US State Department release said. (ANI)
- Proud on meeting ozone targets before time: Jairam Ramesh - Sep 16, 2010
- Ozone protecting HFCs may increase global warming - Jun 23, 2009
- Ban calls for cooperation to address environmental challenges - Sep 16, 2010
- 'Ozone layer no longer vanishing' - Sep 21, 2010
- Cut soot, slow climate change: Scientists - Oct 13, 2009
- Maldives to phase out polluting chemicals 20 years early - Feb 17, 2010
- Ozone not healing - Oct 21, 2011
- Action plan to phase out consumption of HCFC is on track: Ramesh - Sep 16, 2009
- Arctic ozone layer depleted by 40 percent: Experts - Apr 06, 2011
- Montreal Protocol can be model for climate change talks: Natarajan - Sep 16, 2011
- BASIC countries environment ministers discuss climate change in Delhi - Feb 27, 2011
- Chemicals that solve one environmental problem may worsen another - Jun 17, 2010
- Chemicals that fix one ecological problem worsen another - Jun 17, 2010
- Florida corporation and associate sentenced for smuggling operation - Feb 12, 2010
- Chemicals that protected ozone layer in 1990s may be worsening acid rain - Mar 04, 2010
Tags: business community, commercialization, deputy assistant secretary, global warming, hfcs, industry scientists, international agreements, international options, joint task force, jtf, montreal protocol, north american partners, open ended working group, ozone depleting substances, ozone depletion, ozone layer, phaseout, policy aspects, signals, technical experts