New research shows a significant gap between reported and actual emissions of the potent HFC-23 greenhouse gas, underscoring the need for independent audits and stricter compliance to international agreements.
New research published in the journal Nature has uncovered a startling gap between reported and actual emissions of HFC-23, a highly potent hydrofluorocarbon, from Teflon manufacturing processes globally. This study shines a light on an urgent need for more stringent regulation and independent auditing to ensure compliance with international agreements aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.
Scientists from the University of Bristol, Empa in Switzerland and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research collaborated to address the disparity between official reports and real-world data. The study focused on HFC-23, a by-product of producing Teflon and certain refrigerants, known for its extreme heat-trapping ability in the atmosphere.
Since 2020, manufacturers of Teflon and similar products have been mandated to destroy HFC-23 emissions. Official reports suggested that global emissions of HFC-23 were only 2,000 tons in 2020. However, the researchers discovered that the actual emissions were closer to 16,000 tons, marking a significant underreporting.
To investigate this disparity, the researchers released a non-toxic tracer gas near a Teflon factory in the Netherlands and measured the levels of HFC-23 and other by-products from a distance of around 25 kilometers.
The results showed that emission estimates were higher than officially reported but also indicated that measures to curb HFC-23 levels are largely effective when properly implemented.
“Since we knew exactly how much tracer we had released and how much of it arrived at the measuring point, we were able to calculate the emissions of HFC-23 and other gases,” Dominique Rust, the study’s first author and a research associate at the University of Bristol, said in a news release.
Rust emphasized the importance of collaboration.
“The collaboration with the Teflon manufacturer and the Dutch authorities was key to understanding the real picture,” he added.
The study also raised concerns about abatement technologies not being effectively implemented globally.
“We suspect higher actual readings in the global atmosphere are explained by some countries underreporting emissions, resulting in this disconnect,” Martin Vollmer, a researcher at Empa, said in the news release.
The researchers are advocating for independent audits to ensure that factories comply with international climate agreements.
“Studies like this can help us to independently verify reported declines in emissions from fluorochemical plants and ensure that countries are reaching their obligations under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol,” added co-author Kieran Stanley, a senior research fellow at the University of Bristol.
The findings are encouraging, indicating that abatement measures can significantly reduce HFC-23 emissions when effectively realized. The team plans to extend their research to South Korea in October, applying their tracer method to measure emissions of other halogenated substances in Seoul.
This study underscores the necessity of rigorous monitoring and international cooperation to combat the emissions of super-greenhouse gases effectively. The potential impact on global warming and climate change mitigation is significant, making this research a substantial contribution toward a more sustainable future.