EFCTC COMMENT ON THE UNEXPECTED INCREASE IN GLOBAL EMISSIONS OF OZONE-DEPLETING CFC-11

The Montreal Protocol has successfully phased out the legal production of CFCs worldwide. EFCTC shares the widespread concern that the emissions of CFC-11 reported in the paper by Montzka et al may be linked to unregulated use and production of CFC-11 in China. The paper estimated these unexpected annual emissions at 13,000 tonnes of CFC-11 (± 5000 t/y). While a recent press article suggests that these emissions may be linked to relative small scale CFC-11 foam use, it is important that the complete facts are established. EFCTC welcomes further scientific research and investigation to identify the sources of these emissions and to ensure that they and related activities are dealt with promptly and in an environmentally-sound manner. However, it is worth noting that the extra CFC-11 emissions currently represent an addition of about 1% to stratospheric chlorine and, even if they were to continue at the current level, the effect on ozone recovery would not be significant.

Montzka et al., An unexpected and persistent increase in global emissions of ozone-depleting CFC-11, Nature, 557, 413-417, 2018 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0106-2