Abstract
The production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that would ultimately be released to the atmosphere was banned globally in 2010 under the Montreal Protocol. Here we use measurements combined with an atmospheric transport model to show how atmospheric abundances and emissions of five CFCs increased between 2010 and 2020, contrary to the goals of the phase-out. The Montreal Protocol allows CFC production for use as a feedstock to produce other chemicals. Emissions of CFC-113a, CFC-114a and CFC-115 probably arise during the production of hydrofluorocarbons, which have replaced CFCs for many applications. The drivers behind increasing emissions of CFC-13 and CFC-112a are more uncertain. The combined emissions of CFC-13, CFC-112a, CFC-113a, CFC-114a and CFC-115 increased from 1.6 ± 0.2 to 4.2 ± 0.4 ODP-Gg yr-1 (CFC-11-equivalent ozone-depleting potential) between 2010 and 2020. The anticipated impact of these emissions on stratospheric ozone recovery is small. However, ongoing emissions of the five CFCs of focus may negate some of the benefits gained under the Montreal Protocol if they continue to rise. In addition, the climate impact of the emissions of these CFCs needs to be considered, as their 2020 emissions are equivalent to 47 ± 5 TgCO2.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 309-313 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Nature Geoscience |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 4 |
Early online date | 3 Apr 2023 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2023 |
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Global increase of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons from 2010 to 2020. / Western, Luke M.; Vollmer, Martin K.; Krummel, Paul B. et al.
In: Nature Geoscience, Vol. 16, No. 4, 04.2023, p. 309-313.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Global increase of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons from 2010 to 2020
AU - Western, Luke M.
AU - Vollmer, Martin K.
AU - Krummel, Paul B.
AU - Adcock, Karina E.
AU - Fraser, Paul J.
AU - Harth, Christina M.
AU - Langenfelds, Ray L.
AU - Montzka, Stephen A.
AU - Mühle, Jens
AU - O'Doherty, Simon
AU - Oram, David E.
AU - Reimann, Stefan
AU - Rigby, Matt
AU - Vimont, Isaac
AU - Weiss, Ray F.
AU - Young, Dickon
AU - Laube, Johannes C.
N1 - Funding Information: We are indebted to UEA, FZJ, NOAA and AGAGE staff and scientists for their dedication to producing high-quality atmospheric trace gas measurements. The AGAGE Medusa GC-MS system development, calibrations and measurements at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla and Trinidad Head, CA, were supported by the NASA Upper Atmospheric Research Program in the United States with grants NNX07AE89G and NNX16AC98G to MIT and NNX07AF09G, NNX07AE87G, NNX16AC96G and NNX16AC97G to SIO. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in the United Kingdom supported the University of Bristol for operations at Mace Head, Ireland (contract 1028/06/2015). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States supported the University of Bristol for operations at Ragged Point, Barbados (contract 1305M319CNRMJ0028) and operations at Cape Matatula, American Samoa. In Australia, operations were supported by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia), the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Australia), and Refrigerant Reclaim Australia. Measurements at Jungfraujoch are supported by the Swiss National Programs HALCLIM and CLIMGAS-CH (Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, FOEN) and by the International Foundation High Altitude Research Stations Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat (HFSJG). NOAA measurements were supported in part through the NOAA Cooperative Agreement with CIRES (NA17OAR4320101). L.M.W. received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Słodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 101030750. K.E.A. was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council through the EnvEast Doctoral Training Partnership (grant number NE/L002582/1). J.C.L. received funding from the ERC project EXC3ITE (EXC3ITE-678904-ERC-2015-STG). Funding Information: We are indebted to UEA, FZJ, NOAA and AGAGE staff and scientists for their dedication to producing high-quality atmospheric trace gas measurements. The AGAGE Medusa GC-MS system development, calibrations and measurements at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla and Trinidad Head, CA, were supported by the NASA Upper Atmospheric Research Program in the United States with grants NNX07AE89G and NNX16AC98G to MIT and NNX07AF09G, NNX07AE87G, NNX16AC96G and NNX16AC97G to SIO. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in the United Kingdom supported the University of Bristol for operations at Mace Head, Ireland (contract 1028/06/2015). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States supported the University of Bristol for operations at Ragged Point, Barbados (contract 1305M319CNRMJ0028) and operations at Cape Matatula, American Samoa. In Australia, operations were supported by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia), the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Australia), and Refrigerant Reclaim Australia. Measurements at Jungfraujoch are supported by the Swiss National Programs HALCLIM and CLIMGAS-CH (Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, FOEN) and by the International Foundation High Altitude Research Stations Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat (HFSJG). NOAA measurements were supported in part through the NOAA Cooperative Agreement with CIRES (NA17OAR4320101). L.M.W. received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Słodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 101030750. K.E.A. was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council through the EnvEast Doctoral Training Partnership (grant number NE/L002582/1). J.C.L. received funding from the ERC project EXCITE (EXC3ITE-678904-ERC-2015-STG). 3 Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - The production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that would ultimately be released to the atmosphere was banned globally in 2010 under the Montreal Protocol. Here we use measurements combined with an atmospheric transport model to show how atmospheric abundances and emissions of five CFCs increased between 2010 and 2020, contrary to the goals of the phase-out. The Montreal Protocol allows CFC production for use as a feedstock to produce other chemicals. Emissions of CFC-113a, CFC-114a and CFC-115 probably arise during the production of hydrofluorocarbons, which have replaced CFCs for many applications. The drivers behind increasing emissions of CFC-13 and CFC-112a are more uncertain. The combined emissions of CFC-13, CFC-112a, CFC-113a, CFC-114a and CFC-115 increased from 1.6 ± 0.2 to 4.2 ± 0.4 ODP-Gg yr-1 (CFC-11-equivalent ozone-depleting potential) between 2010 and 2020. The anticipated impact of these emissions on stratospheric ozone recovery is small. However, ongoing emissions of the five CFCs of focus may negate some of the benefits gained under the Montreal Protocol if they continue to rise. In addition, the climate impact of the emissions of these CFCs needs to be considered, as their 2020 emissions are equivalent to 47 ± 5 TgCO2.
AB - The production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that would ultimately be released to the atmosphere was banned globally in 2010 under the Montreal Protocol. Here we use measurements combined with an atmospheric transport model to show how atmospheric abundances and emissions of five CFCs increased between 2010 and 2020, contrary to the goals of the phase-out. The Montreal Protocol allows CFC production for use as a feedstock to produce other chemicals. Emissions of CFC-113a, CFC-114a and CFC-115 probably arise during the production of hydrofluorocarbons, which have replaced CFCs for many applications. The drivers behind increasing emissions of CFC-13 and CFC-112a are more uncertain. The combined emissions of CFC-13, CFC-112a, CFC-113a, CFC-114a and CFC-115 increased from 1.6 ± 0.2 to 4.2 ± 0.4 ODP-Gg yr-1 (CFC-11-equivalent ozone-depleting potential) between 2010 and 2020. The anticipated impact of these emissions on stratospheric ozone recovery is small. However, ongoing emissions of the five CFCs of focus may negate some of the benefits gained under the Montreal Protocol if they continue to rise. In addition, the climate impact of the emissions of these CFCs needs to be considered, as their 2020 emissions are equivalent to 47 ± 5 TgCO2.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85151449789&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41561-023-01147-w
DO - 10.1038/s41561-023-01147-w
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85151449789
VL - 16
SP - 309
EP - 313
JO - Nature Geoscience
JF - Nature Geoscience
SN - 1752-0894
IS - 4
ER -