Reference News Network on January 30** The U.S. "Capitol Hill" ** published an article entitled "China's plan to deal with fluoride emissions may be promising" on January 28, the author is Avipsa Mahpatra, and the article is compiled as follows:
Man-made fluorides include gases that deplete the ozone layer and some of the most potent greenhouse gases known to man. These chemicals are produced in only a few countries, with China and the United States accounting for the lion's share. China is the world's largest producer and exporter of hydrofluorocarbons, accounting for more than 70% of global hydrofluorocarbon production and exporting more than half of its products.
China recently issued a decree announcing the revision of the Regulations on the Management of Ozone Depleting Substances. From March 1, industrial facilities that produce fluoride will need to implement new emission control measures.
The new regulations require the safe disposal of ozone-depleting substances incidental to the production process. Units that produce and use large quantities of ozone-depleting substances, as well as units that incidentally produce large quantities of ozone-depleting substances in the production process, shall install automatic monitoring equipment and network it with the monitoring equipment of the competent department of ecology and environment. The new rules also introduce severe penalties for related illegal acts. Any unit found to be in violation of the new regulations will be subject to hefty fines, confiscation of illegal raw materials, and possibly a shutdown for failing to install and properly operate monitoring equipment.
The updated provisions are in line with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which China ratified in 2021. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol marks a formal global commitment to work towards reducing the production and use of HFCs. In addition, the requirements for automatic monitoring of production facilities and the requirements for large-scale emission control represent important measures that go beyond the requirements of global treaties.
While the Montreal Protocol had achieved results in phasing out ozone-depleting substances, emissions from fluoride production had been neglected and left unchecked for far too long, providing a major opportunity for efficient mitigation of global warming. After many years of efforts, the most recent meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol had taken a number of important decisions that had brought attention to these issues. The resulting new data may be used to reassess the production and consumption exemptions.
China's announcement that it will directly monitor emissions represents an important step in that direction. China has yet to report on its emissions reductions, and it remains to be seen whether the new rules will have a tangible effect. (Compiled by Liu Ziyan).
On February 8, 2023, workers operate forklifts to transport products at a company that produces perfluoropolyether, hydrofluoroether and other products in Tianjin. (Xinhua News Agency).