India's proposal on HFCs gets mixed response

India's pitch for linking the developed and developing nations on reducing Hydroflorocarbons (HFCs) has garnered mixed response from experts with some calling it a good proposal while others describing it as a window of increasing the usage of the potent greenhouse gases.

India has proposed that in order to phase out the HFCs to reduce global warming, the developed countries take the lead and begin the process immediately and the developing countries join the process, when the former have already reduced the HFCs by 80 per cent.

Parties to the Montreal protocol resumed negotiations here on phasing out HFCs. The meeting which began on July 13 is expected to conclude tonight.

HFCs are used as coolants in air-conditioners and refrigerators. The chemicals were introduced to replace the ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorocarbons on a large scale.

While HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer, most of them are potent greenhouse gases.

While countries like China and Kuwait have expressed support for India's proposal, there have been counter arguments at the conference about giving developed countries a window of first increasing the usage and then phasing out.

"The proposal means if developed countries will move fast so will developing countries so there will be a virtuous relationship so developed countries will be ambitious," said Chandra Bhushan, Deputy Director of Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment think tank.

Avipsa Mahapatra from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said: "The...Premise that developing countries go after developed countries and that has been enshrined in the Montreal protocol that there be a grace period which is negotiable."

"If Indian proposal is seen closely it is surprising that they not only have asked for time for themselves but they allow lot more growth in HFCs even for developed countries," she added.

The United Nation officials expect to have the basis of a deal by tonight that they can take to Kigali, Rwanda in October, where the final agreement is scheduled to be signed-off.