Recently, the U.S. Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, Maria Otero, has pointed out the achievements of the Montreal Protocol and described the 2010 North American proposal for a phase-down of HFC ‘super’ greenhouse gases under the Montreal Protocol (submitted jointly by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico), noting that “the Montreal Protocol is the best forum to promote practical action on this issue.”

Phasing down HFCs under Montreal (production and consumption, not emissions, which would still be controlled by the Kyoto Protocol) is consistent with the past actions by the treaty which have explicitly recognized its climate benefits: in 2007, the treaty Parties agreed to accelerate the phase-out of HCFCs – the substitutes for CFCs – to reap climate benefits of up to 16 billion tonnes of CO₂-equivalent by 2040. 

Decisions on the HFC proposals will be taken at the Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, 8–12 November 2010 in Kampala, Uganda.

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