More than 100 countries took steady steps forward under the Montreal Protocol, the treaty that protects the ozone layer and the climate, at a week-long meeting earlier this month in the treaty’s home city. The semi-annual talks were packed with important presentations by the entities set up to support the Montreal Protocol, including the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) and the Scientific Assessment Panel (SAP), and featured discussions on several items important for the functioning of the treaty.
Four key areas stood out. First, countries are focusing on ways to better curb the super-potent hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), not only by cutting production of new supplies, but also by reducing the leakage of existing HFCs into the atmosphere. Lifecycle refrigerant management (LRM) — capturing that bank of climate pollutants before they escape and reusing or destroying them, when necessary — is a huge climate protection opportunity that NRDC and partnershave helped bring to the forefront. Second, countries are increasingly focused on doubling the climate benefits of implementing the Kigali Amendment by also enhancing energy efficiency. Several Parties are thinking through ways to develop a robust pipeline of projects regarding increased energy efficiency. Third, countries also focused on enhancing atmospheric monitoring of HFCs and other chemicals controlled under the Montreal Protocol, which is crucial for ensuring compliance with the treaty obligations. Finally, parties discussed ways to strengthen institutions under the Montreal Protocol to combat an increase in the illegal trading of controlled substances.
Lifecycle Refrigerant Management
As promised, TEAP’s LRM taskforce presented findings from a yearlong study on lifecycle refrigerant management opportunities. Well-received by the Parties (countries), the report estimates that adopting LRM practices could avoid emissions of up to 5000 “ODP tons” which means metric tons of ozone-depleting chemicals weighted by their ozone-depletion potential and a whopping 39 billion metric tons CO2-equivalent of fluorinated GHG emissions, cumulatively, between 2025 and 2050. TEAP’s report also highlighted obstacles – such as policy, economics, and access to LRM technologies – that could hinder effective LRM, particularly in Article Five (A5) countries across the Global South. For example, some Parties highlighted challenges with servicing systems in high ambient temperatures, reclaiming HFC blends, and accessing available technologies. LRM will continue to be discussed at a full-day workshop preceding MOP36 in Bangkok, and NRDC is eager to see how the climate opportunity inherent in LRM can be unlocked, especially in countries where the largest banks are expected to be in the coming years.
Energy Efficiency
TEAP provided an update to the Parties on the latest developments regarding energy efficiency (EE) in the context of the Kigali Amendment implementation. Earlier in May, an operational framework for enhancing energy efficiency while phasing down HFCs was discussed and approved at the Executive Committee meeting of the Multilateral Fund. This was a big win for proponents of “twinning” EE and the HFC transition that operationalized funding for energy efficiency through the Treaty in a way that has not been possible before. As part of this framework, a $100 million fund was made available for projects that enhance EE while also phasing down HFCs over the next three years. Parties at OEWG voiced interest in ensuring that a robust pipeline of projects on EE are submitted to utilize this funding as effectively as possible, with a request for addressing the unique challenges and special circumstances of low- and very-low-volume-consuming countries. Parties also expressed interest in creating regional centers of excellence for energy efficiency that can provide various forms of assistance in the refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump sector. We expect additional discussions around energy at the upcoming meeting, and NRDC continues to think through ways of supporting these efforts with constructive solutions.
Improving Atmospheric Monitoring
Monitoring emissions of controlled substances is crucial to enforcing the Protocol and ensuring that countries are abiding by their commitments to transition from HFCs and ozone-depleting substances. TEAP presented key findings from a joint workshop that explored costs and challenges of expanding atmospheric monitoring and highlighted two approaches to monitoring controlled substances– including “bottom-up” and “top-down” approaches. Both approaches have their associated advantages and disadvantages – for example, a top-down approach can provide total emissions across a region but cannot identify the specific activities that have contributed to these emissions in the way that a bottom-up approach can.
