While a major R744 refrigerant supplier decided to enter the Australian market, the Australian government yesterday did not support a motion to back a proposal by two island nations to regulate HFCs through the Montreal Protocol. However, the initiative draws further attention to the importance of an issue, which has lately attracted significant media attention.
Earlier in June, refrigerant supplier BOC announced the launch of R744 in the Australian market. Its product is a high purity gas with a guaranteed low moisture of less than 10 parts per million specifically developed for refrigeration systems. It is currently available in GE size (31kg) cylinder with liquid withdrawal. For large volumes, the company can also supply MAN15 pack liquid R744 with a capacity of 465kg.
Australian government discards Senate motion to regulate HFCs through Montreal Protocol
In the meantime, at the policy level, Greens Senator Christine Milne called on the Senate yesterday to support using the Montreal Protocol to control HFC gases. Although the Australian Senate passed Milne’s motion, the Government decided not to support it, for reasons which remain unclear.
The motion specifically called on the Australian government to support a joint proposal submitted by the Federated States of Micronesia and Mauritius on 30 April 2009 to amend the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to regulate and phase-down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) with a high global warming potential, and promote the destruction of banks of ozone-depleting substances at the Montreal Protocol Open Ended Working Group meeting to be held in Geneva from 13 July to 18 July 2009.
The proposal further called on the government to recognise the need to work towards an HFC phase-out coordinated between the UNFCCC and the Montreal Protocol, and to seek amendments that will enable the UNFCCC and the Montreal Protocol to both play important collaborative roles in the phase-out of HFCs.
However, attention to the issue is now drawn
Although the Australian government did not support the motion, its decision does not necessarily reflect a fixed position on the issue, but rather a lack of attention on it. The fact that the motion passed the Senate will help to draw attention to the issue.
The proposal came right after UNEP welcomed a scientific paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences highlighting the need to accelerate action on HFCs as part of the climate change agenda, as under a business as usual scenario HFCs are projected to account for the equivalent of at least 9-19% of global CO2 emissions by 2050.
“There are low hanging fruit in the climate change challenge and this new scientific paper spotlights one of them – HFCs. By some estimates, action to freeze and then reduce this group of gases could buy the world the equivalent of a decades-worth of CO2 emissions,” said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director in reaction to the findings.
Australian government discards Senate motion to regulate HFCs through Montreal Protocol
In the meantime, at the policy level, Greens Senator Christine Milne called on the Senate yesterday to support using the Montreal Protocol to control HFC gases. Although the Australian Senate passed Milne’s motion, the Government decided not to support it, for reasons which remain unclear.
The motion specifically called on the Australian government to support a joint proposal submitted by the Federated States of Micronesia and Mauritius on 30 April 2009 to amend the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to regulate and phase-down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) with a high global warming potential, and promote the destruction of banks of ozone-depleting substances at the Montreal Protocol Open Ended Working Group meeting to be held in Geneva from 13 July to 18 July 2009.
The proposal further called on the government to recognise the need to work towards an HFC phase-out coordinated between the UNFCCC and the Montreal Protocol, and to seek amendments that will enable the UNFCCC and the Montreal Protocol to both play important collaborative roles in the phase-out of HFCs.
However, attention to the issue is now drawn
Although the Australian government did not support the motion, its decision does not necessarily reflect a fixed position on the issue, but rather a lack of attention on it. The fact that the motion passed the Senate will help to draw attention to the issue.
The proposal came right after UNEP welcomed a scientific paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences highlighting the need to accelerate action on HFCs as part of the climate change agenda, as under a business as usual scenario HFCs are projected to account for the equivalent of at least 9-19% of global CO2 emissions by 2050.
“There are low hanging fruit in the climate change challenge and this new scientific paper spotlights one of them – HFCs. By some estimates, action to freeze and then reduce this group of gases could buy the world the equivalent of a decades-worth of CO2 emissions,” said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director in reaction to the findings.
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By R744.com team (@r744)
Jun 26, 2009, 14:32
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