Policy Foundation for Action on HFCs used in Fire Suppression
A new international initiative has been launched to take fast action to reduce short lived climate pollutants, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The Climate and Clean Air Coalition, launched on February 16, 2012, now numbers 13 nations including the United States and the European Union.
The environmental community recognizes that fast action to reduce short lived climate pollutants can have a direct impact on climate change. Implementing such fast action policies provides potential to reduce warming by up to 0.5 degrees Celsius by 2050 and help keep global temperature increases below 2 degrees Celsius. HFC producers are also advocates of this policy because it moves markets away from commodity HFCs and back into patent protected replacement technology for large markets such as refrigeration and air conditioning.
The meeting assessed around a dozen initiatives proposed by developed and developing countries for fast action on short lived climate pollutants including many happening already at the national level. Delegates took forward five initiatives to be approved for rapid implementation by Ministers on the final day. One of those approved included:
Accelerating alternatives to HFCs
The Coalition aims to fast track more environmentally-sustainable and cost effective alternatives and technologies to avoid HFC growth. The fire suppression market is well positioned for an immediate phase-down in use of HFCs and a transition to readily available alternatives such as 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid.