Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Queensland and NSW floods 2022

Visit recovery.gov.au to see what help is available.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Land
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Plant health
    • Drought and rural support
    • Mouse infestation advice
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Water
    Water Improving the sustainable management of Australia’s water resources for agriculture, the environment and communities.
    • Coal, Coal seam gas (CSG) and water
    • Commonwealth Environmental Water Office
    • Water policy and resources
    • Wetlands
    Water matters

    Water Matters

    Keep up with the latest news on the department's work in managing Australia's water resources.

    Read the latest edition here

  • Environment
    Environment Improving stewardship and sustainable management of Australia’s environment.
    • Biodiversity
    • Bushfire recovery
    • Climate change and the environment
    • EPBC Act
    • Environmental information and data
    • International activities
    • Marine
    • Partnerships
    • Protection
    • Report a breach of environment law
    • Threatened species & ecological communities
    • Waste and recycling
  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030.
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Invasive species
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    • Wildlife trade
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Parks and heritage
    Parks and heritage Managing Australia’s iconic national parks, historic places and living landscapes.
    • Australian Marine Parks
    • Australian National Botanic Gardens
    • Booderee National Park
    • Kakadu National Park
    • Christmas Island National Park
    • National parks
    • Norfolk Island National Park
    • Heritage
    • Pulu Keeling National Park
    • The Great Barrier Reef
    • Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
    The reef

    Great Barrier Reef

    Australia is protecting and conserving this World Heritage Area.

    Find out more

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Climate change
    • Australia's biological resources
    • National Environmental Science Program (NESP)
    • Our science strategy
    • Australian Biological Resource Study (ABRS)
    • State of the Environment (SoE) reporting
    • Bird and bat banding
    • Supervising Scientist
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us Enhancing Australia’s agriculture, environment, heritage and water resources through regulation and partnership.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    A day in the life

    A day in the life...

    Our video series showcases the diverse and important work we do.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Environment
  3. Environment protection
  4. Ozone Depleting Substances and Synthetic Greenhouse Gases
  5. Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phase-down
  6. International HFC phase-down

Sidebar first - EN - Protection

  • HFC phase-down
    • HFC phase-down FAQ
    • HFC import quota
    • International HFC phase-down

International HFC phase-down

Representatives from Australia and most of the other 196 countries that are parties to the Montreal Protocol reached a global agreement on reducing hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions when they met in Kigali, Rwanda, from 10 to 14 October 2016.

The Meeting of the Parties agreed to an international phase-down of global HFC production and imports. The agreement will see an 85 per cent phase-down in developed countries by 2036, an 80 per cent phase-down by 2045 in most developing countries including China, and the remaining developing countries reaching an 85 per cent phase-down by 2047.

A global phase-down will reduce HFC emissions equivalent to 72 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2050, or the equivalent of well over one year’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

HFCs are a type of synthetic greenhouse gas mostly used in refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment to replace ozone depleting substances that have been phased out under the Montreal Protocol. While HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer, they are powerful greenhouse gases that survive in the atmosphere for many years.

  • Media release: Australia Plays Lead Role to Secure 85 per cent Reduction in Global HFC Emissions — 16 October 2016

Australia’s role

Australia played a central role in the negotiations, as a co-chair and consensus-builder. The Kigali Amendment was the culmination of the Dubai Pathway, which was an agreement in 2015, in which all countries agreed they would work to an HFC agreement in 2016.

Australia’s domestic HFC phase-down

A global agreement on HFCs will complement Australia’s domestic HFC phase-down, which was announced by the Government on 27 June 2016.

Australia’s phase-down will start at a faster pace than that agreed at the Kigali meeting, but it will end at the same point as those of most other developed countries.

Montreal Protocol

The agreement has taken place under the Montreal Protocol, which is widely considered to be the most successful environment protection agreement. It has resulted in the eradication of 99 per cent of ozone depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Phasing out ozone depleting substances has also had a significant climate benefit as ozone depleting substances are also greenhouse gases. The phase-out has prevented emissions equivalent to 135 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide.

An international HFC phase-down is the most significant amendment to the Montreal Protocol since the CFC and halon phase-out was agreed in 1990. HFC phase-down discussions began in 2009.

The Montreal Protocol is the ideal vehicle to reduce HFC emissions because:

  • it was effective in phasing out ozone depleting substances, which are similar to HFCs;
  • governments and industry are used to, and comfortable with, the approach;
  • it has all the necessary scientific, technical and financial expertise and mechanisms in place.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has described the Kigali Amendment as the most significant environmental breakthrough since the Paris Agreement in 2015, and that it will prevent up to 0.5° Celsius of global warming.

The negotiations

The meeting was attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry who said that ‘adopting an ambitious amendment to phase down the use and production of [HFCs] is likely the single most important step that we could take at this moment to limit the warming of our planet and protect the planet for future generations to come’.

While all countries at the meeting supported a global HFC phase-down, there were a range of views on exactly what it should look like. Among the issues that needed to be agreed were the differing responsibilities of developed and developing countries.

Developed countries will begin phasing down from 2019, completing the reduction by 2036.

Developing countries will begin and end the phase-down later, allowing more time for alternative technology to mature in their markets. Most of these countries, including China, will freeze the level of HFC consumption in 2024, begin phasing down in 2029, and complete the process by 2045.

A smaller group, including India, will freeze consumption from 2028, begin reducing from 2032, and complete the phase-down by 2047.

This is particularly important as the use of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment is growing rapidly in developing countries with fast-expanding middle classes and hot climates. According to UNEP, HFCs are the world’s fastest growing greenhouse gas, their emissions increasing by up to 10 per cent each year.

A final agreement on the HFC phase-down is a positive marker ahead of the Marrakech Climate Change Conference in November 2016.

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 10 October 2021

© Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.