Jun 22 2009
A scientific paper, highlighting the need to accelerate action over a group of gases known as Hydroflurocarbons (HFCs) as part of the climate change agenda, was today welcomed by the head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
The findings, by an international team of researchers are published in the Proceeedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The scientists argue that HFC use could climb sharply in the coming years in products such as insulation foams, air conditioning units and refrigeration as replacements for ones being phased-out to protect the ozone layer.
Under a scenario where carbon dioxide emissions are pegged to 450 parts per million HFCs could equal nine Gigatonnes - equivalent to around 45 per cent of total C02 emissions - by 2050 if their growth is unchecked.
Conversely, rapid action to freeze and to cut emissions annually alongside fostering readily available alternatives could see HFC emissions fall to under one Gigatonne by 2050.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said: "Dramatically cutting carbon dioxide emissions from society's inefficient energy use is the key to catalyzing a transition to a low, carbon, resource efficient Green Economy. It is also central to delivering a stabilization of the atmosphere as outlined by the assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change".
"But there are other 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 C02 emissions," he added.