Growing use of HFCs raises air quality concerns

Increased use of HFCs - hydrofluorocarbons, used in fridges and air conditioning units, and which are much more potent than CO2 - have prompted air quality concerns for the future.

According to a new report from the United Nations, supposedly ozone-friendly HFCs could account for up to 20 per cent of harmful emissions and hinder attempts to tackle climate change.

Produced by the UN Environment Programme (Unep), the report predicted that the HFCs' global warming potential in 2050 could be comparable with today's emissions from the worldwide transport industry.

"While these 'replacement for replacement' chemicals cause near zero damage to the ozone layer, they are powerful greenhouse gases in their own right," Unep's executive director Achim Steiner remarked.

According to the European Environment Agency, carbon capture and storage (CCS) will also have an effect on air quality, with emissions of a number of pollutants increasing, despite the fact that CCS does have a positive impact overall on pollution.

Posted by Claire Manning