HFC phase-down legislation passed

The Turnbull government has passed legislation to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), powerful synthetic gases that can be thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide.

HFCs — used in refrigerators, air conditioners, fire extinguishers and insulating foam — comprise up to 2% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The phase-down of HFC imports under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Amendment Bill 2017 will begin in 2018 and reach an 85% reduction by 2036.

Australia co-chaired the negotiations in Kigali last year that led to a global agreement of all 197 parties to the Montreal Protocol to phase down these potent gases.

It is estimated that the global phase-down will reduce emissions by up to 72 billion tonnes by 2050 or roughly one and a third times global annual emissions. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, this action could avoid up to 0.5° of temperature rises by 2100.

The passing of this legislation will constitute a significant domestic emissions reduction of up to 80 million tonnes.