Tip of the Iceberg: Implications of Illegal CFC Production and Use

A report produced for the 30th Meeting of the Parties (MoP30) to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer opening in Quito, Ecuador.

Tip of the Iceberg: Implications of Illegal CFC Production and Use is an update on China’s illegal CFC-11 emissions crisis and includes independent laboratory tests of polyurethane (PU) foam samples – provided by Chinese enterprises previously investigated by EIA – that confirm the presence of CFC-11 as a blowing agent. CFC-11 is a potent ozone depleting substance (ODS) that has been banned for almost a decade.

The report urges Parties to the Montreal Protocol to address a number of remaining unanswered questions, in particular the absence of comprehensive data regarding the size of current banks of CFC-11 in PU foam and other products or equipment. It also urges the Montreal Protocol to undertake a comprehensive review of the monitoring and enforcement regime of the Montreal Protocol to ensure it is effective in combatting the illegal trade in ODS and prepared for new controls on HFCs.