HFC Mitigation Potential and Costs in India

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are 100s to 1000s of times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO₂) at warming the atmosphere. This projected increase in HFC emissions would offset many of the climate benefits achieved by phasing out ozone-depleting substances (ODS) under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. An HFC phase-down is expected to avoid up to 0.5 ^oC of global warming by 2100. 

IIASA jointly with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) undertook India’s first analysis for understanding the potential growth in India’s HFC emissions across sectors if these adopt high GWP HFCs as alternatives to HCFCs. Relying on the Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model, the study included a detailed cost analysis t proposals.T

Most importantly, the sector composition of future cooling demand differs considerably between developed and developing countries, which has implications for the abatement costs of adhering to the Kigali Amendment.  There are more opportunities for low-cost or even profitable HFC abatement in industrial and commercial refrigeration, which are sectors expected to dominate cooling demand in developed countries, than in stationary and mobile air conditioning, which dominate future cooling demand in many developing countries.

Key findings

• The costs of phasing down hydrofluorocarbons
  

Last edited: 22 June 2018