Web India 123 , Friday, October 14, 2016

Correspondent :

India, steering the negotiations on amendment in Montreal Protocol for phase down of HFCs at Kigali, Rwanda, has again taken the lead on the climate issues. Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave, has given the go-ahead for releasing the order for incinerating the HFC23 by producers of HCFC22 gas, an official statement said here today.Heemphasised that the HFC23 gas, a potent greenhouse gas, with global warming potential of 14,800, was produced as a by-product of HCFC22 manufacturing, and if vented out in environment, was a threat to the environment.Mr Dave clarified that companies have to internalise the cost of this environmental externality and create sufficient storage facility to take care of down time and run the incinerators to ensure and not release of HFC23 in the atmosphere.It was noted that some HCFC22 producers, even in the developed world, were not handling the HFC23 in the most professional manner.Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, A N Jha, said that this decision of India, at this juncture, fortified the determination and commitment of the country on climate issues. This would have a positive impact on the discussions on HFCs and make the governments and producers of HCFC- 22 in both, developed and developing countries think on emulating this practice.It was now hard for the teams from the countries which were producers of HCFC22 to negotiate for funding from the Multilateral Fund (MLF), for creating a facility for incineration or financial support for incinerating the gas.Signing the orders, Joint Secretary, MoEFCC, Manoj Kumar Singh, highlighted the fact that even with the complete phase-out of HCFCs for usage as refrigerants under the Montreal Protocol, its production would continue for feedstock purposes. This production for feedstock purpose would reach one million tonnes at its peak, ensuring the incineration of HFC 23 being produced as by-product would ensure an avoidance of more than 444 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent globally.This was a major break away from the concept of financial assistance for every action on environment, in which India has taken the lead.UNI RBE AE SB 1953

SOURCE : http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20161013/2968831.html