These pollutants (soot, methane and hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs) are believed to contribute about a third of the human-caused rise in global temperatures.
The existing agreement does not cover a class of chemicals called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which do not harm ozone but do act as greenhouse gases; they are among the fastest-growing such gases.
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are ozone-friendly replacements for CFCs, and are one of the fastest-growing greenhouse gases, having risen 40% since 1990.
The rest comes from a variety of sources, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), black carbon (soot), methane and nitrogen compounds.
They recently agreed to cut hydrofluorocarbons (an especially potent greenhouse gas), develop carbon capture and storage and reduce emissions from heavy vehicles a good start.
The latter includes sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
It introduced requirements on the containment, handling, recovery, labeling, and reporting of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride and banned some of their applications.
In April the Environmental Protection Agency EPAA) said that it planned to declare that carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride emissions contributed to air pollution that endangered public health and welfare.
As lead entity in the Alliance of Small Island States, it was pushing for a 45% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2020 and, with Mauritius, filed an application for an amendment to the Montreal Protocol to limit the use of hydrofluorocarbons.
Additional trace gases produced by industrial activity that have greenhouse properties include nitrous oxide (N2O) and fluorinated gases (halocarbons), the latter including sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
Similarly, amending the Montreal Protocol to phase-down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) - dangerous climate pollutants thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide used around the world as refrigerant in homes, offices and vehicles, even though affordable and safe alternatives exist – is the largest, quickest and cheapest climate solution available today.
