The joint statement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Barack Obama on Friday makes it clear that India, like China before it, is open to begin talks on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) at a forum other than the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

"To discuss multilateral approaches that include using the expertise and the institutions of the Montreal Protocol to phase down the consumption and production of HFCs, based on economically-viable and technically feasible alternatives,

" the joint statement reads, adding that accounting and reporting on HFCs would continue to be within the scope of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol. The US has taken the lead to forge a consensus to allow for discussions on phasing out of HFCs under the Montreal Protocol, the UN-sponsored agreement concerned with protecting the ozone layer. During his visit to India, US Secretary of State John Kerry flagged off the need to aggressively phase out the use of HFCs as refrigerants as part of an effort to counter climate change. The US and European Union have been pushing for the phasing out of the use of HFCs on account of its high global warming potential.

The India-US agreement will allow for the beginning of a formal discussion when the meeting under the Montreal Protocol takes place in Bangkok in October. There is as yet no agreement on the nature of these discussions, which will be decided at the October meeting.

Like the agreement forged with China in June this year, there are no timelines that have been agreed upon. It is an understanding to work together to reduce the production and consumption of the chemical compound and to identify viable alternatives. In garnering India's acquiescence to begin a dialogue buttress the Obama administration's green credentials, and address a domestic constituency that see countries like India and China getting a free pass on tackling climate change.

India and China are projected to be the biggest consumers of HFC, thanks to growing consumerism and improving living standards in these advanced developing nations that has created a booming market for refrigerators and air conditioners.

While this move will be touted by the US and the European Union as a step forward in the global effort to tackle climate change, its real value is symbolic as HFCs account for a fraction of greenhouse gas emissions, about 1%, according to UN estimates. Experts say the share could rise to 3% by 2030. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, HFC emissions are expected to be equivalent to 7% to 19% of the CO2 emissions in 2050.

Industrialised countries would like the Montreal Protocol, which is binding on all countries, to be amended to allow for setting out a process to phase out the use of HFCs. The demand is significant as the UN-sponsored climate negotiations has been marked by lack of progress; industrialised countries have argued that addressing the use of HFCs would give climate talks the much needed momentum as it would limit future emissions.

While a global consensus now appears to have been forged to address the HFC issue, the real problem that of carbon emissions is yet to be addressed.

HFCs began to be used as a refrigerating agent after countries agreed to stop using ozone depleting cholorofluorocarbons (CFCs) under the 1987 Montreal Protocol, the UN sponsored environmental treaty geared at protecting the ozone layer. Countries moved away from using CFCs, and graduated to less harmful but still ozone depleting hydrocholofluorocarbons (HCFC) and finally to the HFCs, which are not ozone depleting.

However, the global warming potential of HFCs is considerable, "more potent than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere", hence the push to reduce their use. Under the Montreal Protocol, developing countries like India are to phase out the use of HCFCs by 2030.

HFCs, commonly referred to as F-gases, are among the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions to counter climate change.

The Kyoto Protocol sets out quantified emission reduction targets for industrialised countries. However, much of the increased use in HFCs is expected in developing countries, particularly those with growing economies and large consumer demand like India, China, Brazil, and South Africa. These countries are under no legal obligation to undertake quantified emission cuts under the climate change agreement.

The developing countries would like HFCs to remain a part of the UN-sponsored climate process. They argue that any effort to move the discussion away from the climate change negotiations would effectively mean passing on the burden of reducing emissions to developing countries.

The BASIC countries, a grouping of the advanced developing nations Brazil, South Africa, India, and China, have already indicated that they are open to discuss reducing the use of HFCs through relevant multilateral fora", as long as these discussions are "guided by the principles and provisions of UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol.