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Supporting the Global HFC phase-down

Supporting the Global HFC phase-down

In 2012-13, The Council was among the pioneering institutions to begin India-focused research on the business case for phasing down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs are far more potent as greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide. Over the years, The Council pioneered business engagement and extensive analytics on HFCs in India.

At a time when existing global and regional estimates were often interpolated to estimate India-centric numbers, the Council modelled India's only estimates of long-term HFC emissions across sectors, under alternative scenarios. This study was well recognised by industry captains and policymakers at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, who urged CEEW to conduct further independent assessments.

In 2016, The Council was privileged to support the successful and historic conclusion of many years of negotiations to phase down HFCs. Leading up to the Meeting of Parties to the Montreal Protocol at Kigali, in October 2016, the Council, along with collaborators, published the cost of leapfrogging away from HFCs under alternative scenarios. A delegation from The Council was present in Kigali for the negotiations, continuously informing India’s position and bridging knowledge gaps with independent analysis and findings.

After the 2016 Kigali Amendment, The Council's research has focused on challenges inherent in the transition; ranging from challenges related to the air-conditioning and refrigeration servicing sector, to the critical issue of research and development. Currently, the Council is examining regulatory approaches and incentive schemes that could encourage stakeholders to adopt a faster transition pathway.

  • I would like to appreciate CEEW’s efforts for the commendable analysis they have done on India’s long-term HFC emissions. I hope that more civil society organisations in India bring out such independent research.

    Susheel Kumar

    Secretary, Ministry of Coal, and former Special Secretary, MoEFCC