India does U-turn after deal with US on climate threatening refrigerant gases, HFCs

http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/india-does-u-turn-after-deal-with-us-on-climate-threatening-refrigerant-gases-hfcs-115041701121_1.html

Nitin Sethi | New Delhi 

April 18, 2015 

Following the agreement between the US and India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to that country, India has officially reversed its long-standing position to permit phase out of climate-warming refrigerant gases under the Montreal Protocol.

India has formally moved an amendment to the Montreal Protocol, originally meant to help countries move away from ozone depleting substances, to now also deal with the phase-out of this family of climate warming refrigerant gases – Hydrofluorocarbons or HFCs. This is a complete U-turn in India’s stance. The government had earlier internally assessed that such a move was inimical to the country’s economic interests, as well as its stake in the UN climate convention negotiations.

The early signs of an impending U-turn had become evident when the two heads of states, in their joint statements during the PM’s visit to the US, announced India would work to assess how a phase-down of HFCs could be achieved under the Montreal Protocol. Before this, India had drawn a red line on the matter or in other words decided that it would be a non-negotiable issue in the international environmental negotiations under different forums.

These gases are used in all kinds of refrigeration systems, from cold chains to cars. While developed countries have adopted these gases and the attendant technology, it was highlighted that these hold a high global warming potential and India and China are the growing market for these. Many developed countries and others pushed that India and China leapfrog from the use of HFCs and use the next generation of refrigerant gases that do not cause as much global warming.