The Ministry of Environment announced two sets of regulations Feb. 25 governing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), as the government continues to bring Taiwan’s regulations into line with global standards.
According to the MOENV, the move is in response to an amendment by the parties to the Montreal Protocol. Adopted in September of 1987, the landmark U.N. environmental treaty regulates the production and consumption of nearly 100 man-made chemicals referred to as ozone depleting substances.
During their 28th meeting in October of 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda, the parties signed the Kigali Amendment to add HFCs to the list of controlled substances and approve a timeline for their gradual reduction by 80-85 percent by the late 2040s. The amendment has been ratified by more than 160 countries and territories so far, the MOENV added.
HFCs are mainly used in electronic cleansing, fire extinguishing equipment, industrial processing and refrigeration. While they are considered substitutes for hydrochlorofluorocarbons, an ozone depleting substance, they also contain high global warming potential values.
The ministry said under the new rules, production of 18 types of HFCs is banned immediately and starting July 1 this year, approval has to be obtained for the import and export of such products and mixtures containing the chemicals. The annual HFC consumption will be capped at the baseline level of 24,523.87 thousand metric tons of CO2 equivalents starting 2026, with the total amount gradually reduced to lower than 20 percent of the baseline level after 2045.
The MOENV said the new rules, which are based on the country’s Climate Change Response Act, underscore Taiwan commitment to working with global partners to mitigate climate change, adding that it will organize public hearing sessions soon to bring local firms up to speed on the matter. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw