Air conditioning units, which often use hydrofluorocarbon gases, in a building in Shenyang, China
China Visual Collection via Getty Images
Emissions of potent greenhouse gases released as a by-product in the refrigerant industry are much higher than governments have declared, indicating the failure of a global agreement to eliminate such emissions.
Under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, signed in 2016, more than 160 countries said they would do everything in their power to eliminate emissions of HFC-23, a gas with a warming potential 14,700 times greater than carbon dioxide. Data provided by governments indicate that emissions have decreased by a greater percentage…