India is taking action on global warming refrigerants by partially accepting U.S. demands to phase them out.
The U.S. demanded that India agree to commence talks which would eventually lead to banning HFCs in India. India have held back from doing so due to the high costs of using HFC-alternative technologies, the lack of safety testing on certain HFC-alternative technologies and their objection to climate change decisions taken outside of the UN Climate Convention.
India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi visited U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington two weeks ago. Both leaders have since released a joint statement stating that they recognised the need to use the institution and expertise of the Montreal Protocol to reduce consumption and production of HFCs, as well as pledging to arrange meetings of their bilateral task force prior to the next meeting of the Montreal Protocol to discuss HFC-alternative technologies.
The next Montreal Protocol meeting is next month.
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