Despite the Chinese government’s claims to have significantly reduced the emissions of the super pollutant trifluoromethane (HFC-23) in accordance with international agreements, the latest atmospheric data indicates that as of 2023, China is still emitting this highly destructive greenhouse gas at high concentrations, in violation of international agreements.
The most recent research data starkly contrasts with the data officially submitted by China to the United Nations, raising doubts in the international community about China’s commitment to climate action.
Trifluoromethane is a byproduct of the production of chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22), which is used as a material for non-stick pans, and its greenhouse gas effect is approximately 14,700 times that of carbon dioxide. According to a recent study published in the journal “Communications Earth & Environment” titled “Emissions of trifluoromethane do not reflect the commitments of the Kigali Amendment,” global trifluoromethane emissions in 2023 were five times higher than the data reported by various countries to the United Nations, with around 40% coming from the eastern region of China.
The report points out that the research findings sharply contrast with China’s official reports submitted based on the Montreal Protocol’s Kigali Amendment. Under the agreement, signatory countries are required to immediately adopt existing technologies to eliminate emissions of trifluoromethane starting from 2021. While China’s 2022 report showed a significant decrease in emissions, the study indicates that the actual concentration of trifluoromethane in the atmosphere in China has not decreased, revealing a gap in enforcement and monitoring of emissions.
In fact, since the 2000s, the Chinese government has collaborated with the United Nations and domestic companies to set up incineration facilities to destroy trifluoromethane. However, the subsidies and regulatory loopholes in China’s policy design have led to an increase rather than a decrease in actual emissions, reaching a historic high in 2019.
After the Kigali Amendment came into effect in 2021, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued guidance requiring comprehensive reduction of trifluoromethane emissions, and in early 2024, released a draft regulation requiring the destruction of trifluoromethane to achieve a 99.99% reduction. However, these regulations have not been formally implemented yet, nor have clear penalties or mandatory indicators been established, limiting enforcement.
The lead author of the study, Ben Adam, a researcher at the University of Bristol’s School of Chemistry, stated, “This is a highly potent greenhouse gas that is technologically completely controllable, yet it remains unaddressed by many countries, which is worrisome.”
Professor Hu Jianxin from the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at Peking University has been researching trifluoromethane as a super pollutant for many years and contributed to the draft regulations issued in January 2024. He expressed uncertainty as to why these regulations have not been implemented yet, noting that affected Chinese factories are resisting the destruction of trifluoromethane and that related companies are still complaining.
The study highlights that international climate cooperation is at a critical juncture, with the Montreal Protocol and its scientific groups already identifying China’s emission issues. However, the flexibility in enforcement due to the agreement’s requirement to reduce emissions “to the extent practicable” lacking clear definitions and quantified standards has led to significant challenges in implementation.
Climate advocates urge a reevaluation of the agreement’s terms and enforcement mechanisms to prevent the trifluoromethane issue from becoming a significant loophole in global decarbonization efforts.
Stephen Andersen, the research director of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (IGSD), a non-profit environmental organization based in Washington, DC, stated, “The international community must exert pressure on the Montreal Protocol to ensure that countries fulfill their commitments, or else the climate crisis will worsen.”