It feels as if the world is finally waking up to the fact that not only do we need to get rid of HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) but that the solutions are there for the taking – we can chill out without heating up the planet.
Amid preparations for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change talks, the Montreal Protocol quietly announced a decision to fund China’s phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), a move which will keep eight billion tonnes of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, not far off China’s annual CO2 emissions
If 2012 has shown anything, it’s that we’re still small and that our concise reports anchored in hard documentary evidence – often obtained undercover in potentially dangerous circumstances – continue to give us the clout to punch well above our weight
With the holiday season in full swing and 2013 just a matter of days away, on behalf of everybody here at EIA I’d like to wish all of our supporters in the UK and around the world season’s greetings and all best wishes for a peaceful New Year
Our Climate Campaigner, Natasha Hurley, reports on the 18th Conference of the Parties (CoP18) to the UNFCCC in Qatar. While some progress was made including a deal on a 'Loss and Damage Mechanism' and acknowledgement of the need for HFC phase-out, an overall lack of urgency and mitigation pledges was disappointing.
The Montreal Protocol’s relatively unblemished record of forging consensus looks as though it could be severely compromised by the actions of just a few countries – particularly India, China and Brazil – to block agreement on a proposal to globally phase down HFCs, the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions