DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ACCOUNT FOR NEARLY 50% OF GLOBAL HFC EMISSIONS

A scientific paper on HCFCs and HFCs emissions has compared global emissions calculated from atmospheric measurements with HFC emissions reported annually by UNFCCC Annex 1 Parties (developed countries and those with economies in transition).

The results show that “unreported emissions” have increased rapidly over time and, by 2012, accounted for nearly 50% of global HFC emission.

In particular, HFC-134a reported emissions from Annex 1 Parties have been stabilizing since 2007, while global emissions are increasing (figure).

According to the authors, these discrepancies suggest that HFC emissions from developing countries (non-Annex I Parties, which don’t report emissions to the UNFCCC) have increased rapidly over time and, by 2012, accounted for nearly 50% of global HFC emissions.