Economic & Environmental Benefits Of Low-GWP Alternatives to HCFCs: Translating Technical Feasibility to Action

Dr. Stephen O. AndersenInstitute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD)

&Co-Chair TEAP

Many Substitutes Available and More on the Way

• “The ultimate choice of technology to phase-out HCFCs will be based on ozone depletion and also climate impact, health, safety, affordability and availability, as Decision XIX/6 requires”

May 2010 TEAP XXI/9 Task Force ReportAssessment Of HCFCs and Environmentally Sound Alternatives

• 2010 TEAP Progress Report– Substitutes for many sectors and sub-sectors available– Additional substitutes under development– Global acceptance for alternatives strengthening– Potential to skip higher-GWP HFC alternatives, go directly to

lower GWP alternatives

Guiding HFC Phase-Down• Environmental Ministries (e.g. US EPA)

– www.epa.gov/ozone/intpol/mpagreement• Industry NGOs (e.g. Alliance for Responsible

Atmospheric Policy; European Fluorocarbons Technical Committee)– www.ARAP.org; www.Fluorocarbons.org

• Consumer Protection Agencies (e.g. US FTC) – www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/10/greenguide

• Environmental NGOs (see rosters: OEWGs/ MOPs)• TEAP & TOCs• UNEP DTIE & OzonAction

Superior Alternatives

• HFCs are obsolete & targeted for phaseout– EC & California mobile AC GWP must be <150– NGOs petitioned USEPA to ban HFC-134a in MACs– US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will halt false

claims that HFCs are “eco-friendly”– Cap & Trade will punish HFC with high prices– Environmental authorities will tax and prohibit HFCs– Consumers will boycott & stigmatize HFCs

• Environmental Leadership Companies will motivate and welcome low-GWP options and then join the bandwagon to prohibit HFCs

New Thinking on Sustainable Refrigerant Choice

• Select the Refrigerant With Superior LCCP• Manage Refrigerant Emissions to the Lowest

Practical Life-Cycle Level • Offset ODP of HCFC Refrigerant to be

“Chlorine Neutral” via ODS Destruction• Offset GWP of All Refrigerants to be “Carbon

Neutral” via Carbon Markets • Design and Operate to Maximize LCCP• Allow Continued Use of ODSs & HFCs if

Near Zero Emissions and Superior LCCP

New Thinking on Sustainable Insulation Choice

• First Choice: Natural Insulation– Fiberglass, Mineral Wool, & Fibers

• Second Choice: Low-GWP Foams– Natural Blowing Agents: CO2-, HC, etc.– Emerging Low-GWP HFO Insulating Foam

• Imaginative Choices:– Redesign Products to Allow Thicker Insulation– Update Traditional Architecture– Integrate Building Design, Passive Solar, &

Renewable Energy

Updated Thinking On HCFC Phaseout

• Act First Where Technical Choice is Sustainable• Continue ODSs and High-GWP HFCs in Important

Applications with Near-zero Emissions and Significant Climate Benefit

• Reconsider Low-GWP ODS With Superior LCCP (e.g. HCFC-123 in Building Chillers)

• Anticipate New Technology– Be First with New Technology from Reliable Sources– Be Fast in Transition to Sustainable Technology– Buy Foam Equipment Adaptable to New Chemistry– Seek Stewardship Agreements by Chemical Suppliers to

Destroy at End-of-Useful-Product-Life

Thank You!

Stephen O. Andersensoliverandersen@aol.com

Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD)

&Co-Chair TEAP

Backup Slides

Abrupt Climate ChangeFrom Committed Warming

• Arctic Summer Sea Ice- Melting at 2+ times global average

• Greenland Ice Sheet Collapse - 2+ x faster than global average

• West Antarctic Ice Sheet• Himalaya-Tibetan glaciers

- 3 times faster than global average• Global Typhoons and Hurricanes

- Bringing floods and landslides NEXT

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Antarctic Ice Bridge Collapse

BACK2009

Greenland Ice Sheet

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Rivers Originating in Hindu-Kush-Himalaya-Tibetan Glaciers

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Glaciers RetreatSnowpack Reservoir Diminished

• Floods followed by drought• Billions affected• National security threat from water

conflicts among 3 nuclear powers and a half dozen adjacent developing countries

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