Emissions of HFC-23 do not reflect commitments made under the Kigali Amendment

Ben Adam; Luke M. Western; Jens Mühle; Haklim Choi; Paul B. Krummel; Simon O’Doherty; Dickon Young; Kieran M. Stanley; Paul J. Fraser; Christina M. Harth; Peter K. Salameh; Ray F. Weiss; Ronald G. Prinn; Jooil Kim; Hyeri Park; Sunyoung Park; Matt Rigby

doi:10.1038/s43247-024-01946-y

Emissions of HFC-23 do not reflect commitments made under the Kigali Amendment

Ben Adam, Luke M. Western, Jens Mühle, Haklim Choi, Paul B. Krummel, Simon O’Doherty, Dickon Young, Kieran M. Stanley, Paul J. Fraser, Christina M. Harth, Peter K. Salameh, Ray F. Weiss, Ronald G. Prinn, Jooil Kim, Hyeri Park, Sunyoung Park, Matt Rigby

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Abstract

HFC-23 (trifluoromethane) is a potent greenhouse gas released to the atmosphere primarily as a by-product of HCFC-22 (chlorodifluoromethane) synthesis. Since 2020, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol has required Parties to destroy their HFC-23 emissions to the extent possible. Here, we present updated HFC-23 emissions estimated from atmospheric observations. Globally, emissions fell to 14.0 ± 0.9 Gg yr^-1 in 2023 from their maximum in 2019 of 17.3 ± 0.8 Gg yr^-1, but remained five times higher than reported in 2021. Atmospheric observation-based emissions for eastern China, the world’s largest HCFC-22 producer, were also found to be substantially higher than 2020-2022 reported emissions. We estimate that potential HFC-23 sources not directly linked to HCFC-22 production explain only a minor, albeit highly uncertain, fraction of this discrepancy. Our findings suggest that HFC-23 emissions have not been destroyed to the extent reported by the Parties since the implementation of the Kigali Amendment.

Original language	English
Article number	783
Journal	Communications Earth and Environment
Volume	5
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01946-y
State	Published - Dec 2024

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Adam, B., Western, L. M., Mühle, J., Choi, H., Krummel, P. B., O’Doherty, S., Young, D., Stanley, K. M., Fraser, P. J., Harth, C. M., Salameh, P. K., Weiss, R. F., Prinn, R. G., Kim, J., Park, H., Park, S., & Rigby, M. (2024). Emissions of HFC-23 do not reflect commitments made under the Kigali Amendment. Communications Earth and Environment, 5(1), Article 783. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01946-y

@article{e169270bfb114ae0bf172e58720f2ff8,

title = "Emissions of HFC-23 do not reflect commitments made under the Kigali Amendment",

abstract = "HFC-23 (trifluoromethane) is a potent greenhouse gas released to the atmosphere primarily as a by-product of HCFC-22 (chlorodifluoromethane) synthesis. Since 2020, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol has required Parties to destroy their HFC-23 emissions to the extent possible. Here, we present updated HFC-23 emissions estimated from atmospheric observations. Globally, emissions fell to 14.0 ± 0.9 Gg yr-1 in 2023 from their maximum in 2019 of 17.3 ± 0.8 Gg yr-1, but remained five times higher than reported in 2021. Atmospheric observation-based emissions for eastern China, the world{\textquoteright}s largest HCFC-22 producer, were also found to be substantially higher than 2020-2022 reported emissions. We estimate that potential HFC-23 sources not directly linked to HCFC-22 production explain only a minor, albeit highly uncertain, fraction of this discrepancy. Our findings suggest that HFC-23 emissions have not been destroyed to the extent reported by the Parties since the implementation of the Kigali Amendment.",

author = "Ben Adam and Western, {Luke M.} and Jens M{\"u}hle and Haklim Choi and Krummel, {Paul B.} and Simon O{\textquoteright}Doherty and Dickon Young and Stanley, {Kieran M.} and Fraser, {Paul J.} and Harth, {Christina M.} and Salameh, {Peter K.} and Weiss, {Ray F.} and Prinn, {Ronald G.} and Jooil Kim and Hyeri Park and Sunyoung Park and Matt Rigby",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2024.",

year = "2024",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s43247-024-01946-y",

language = "English",

volume = "5",

journal = "Communications Earth and Environment",

issn = "2662-4435",

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Adam, B, Western, LM, Mühle, J, Choi, H, Krummel, PB, O’Doherty, S, Young, D, Stanley, KM, Fraser, PJ, Harth, CM, Salameh, PK, Weiss, RF, Prinn, RG, Kim, J, Park, H, Park, S & Rigby, M 2024, 'Emissions of HFC-23 do not reflect commitments made under the Kigali Amendment', Communications Earth and Environment, vol. 5, no. 1, 783. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01946-y

TY - JOUR

T1 - Emissions of HFC-23 do not reflect commitments made under the Kigali Amendment

AU - Adam, Ben

AU - Western, Luke M.

AU - Mühle, Jens

AU - Choi, Haklim

AU - Krummel, Paul B.

AU - O’Doherty, Simon

AU - Young, Dickon

AU - Stanley, Kieran M.

AU - Fraser, Paul J.

AU - Harth, Christina M.

AU - Salameh, Peter K.

AU - Weiss, Ray F.

AU - Prinn, Ronald G.

AU - Kim, Jooil

AU - Park, Hyeri

AU - Park, Sunyoung

AU - Rigby, Matt

PY - 2024/12

Y1 - 2024/12

N2 - HFC-23 (trifluoromethane) is a potent greenhouse gas released to the atmosphere primarily as a by-product of HCFC-22 (chlorodifluoromethane) synthesis. Since 2020, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol has required Parties to destroy their HFC-23 emissions to the extent possible. Here, we present updated HFC-23 emissions estimated from atmospheric observations. Globally, emissions fell to 14.0 ± 0.9 Gg yr-1 in 2023 from their maximum in 2019 of 17.3 ± 0.8 Gg yr-1, but remained five times higher than reported in 2021. Atmospheric observation-based emissions for eastern China, the world’s largest HCFC-22 producer, were also found to be substantially higher than 2020-2022 reported emissions. We estimate that potential HFC-23 sources not directly linked to HCFC-22 production explain only a minor, albeit highly uncertain, fraction of this discrepancy. Our findings suggest that HFC-23 emissions have not been destroyed to the extent reported by the Parties since the implementation of the Kigali Amendment.

AB - HFC-23 (trifluoromethane) is a potent greenhouse gas released to the atmosphere primarily as a by-product of HCFC-22 (chlorodifluoromethane) synthesis. Since 2020, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol has required Parties to destroy their HFC-23 emissions to the extent possible. Here, we present updated HFC-23 emissions estimated from atmospheric observations. Globally, emissions fell to 14.0 ± 0.9 Gg yr-1 in 2023 from their maximum in 2019 of 17.3 ± 0.8 Gg yr-1, but remained five times higher than reported in 2021. Atmospheric observation-based emissions for eastern China, the world’s largest HCFC-22 producer, were also found to be substantially higher than 2020-2022 reported emissions. We estimate that potential HFC-23 sources not directly linked to HCFC-22 production explain only a minor, albeit highly uncertain, fraction of this discrepancy. Our findings suggest that HFC-23 emissions have not been destroyed to the extent reported by the Parties since the implementation of the Kigali Amendment.

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U2 - 10.1038/s43247-024-01946-y

DO - 10.1038/s43247-024-01946-y

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85212756319

SN - 2662-4435

VL - 5

JO - Communications Earth and Environment

JF - Communications Earth and Environment

IS - 1

M1 - 783

ER -

Emissions of HFC-23 do not reflect commitments made under the Kigali Amendment

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