Mysterious surge in ozone-killing emissions coming from China

The mysterious surge in emissions of an illegal ozone-destroying chemical has been tracked down to illegal manufacturers of plastic insulating foam in China.

Banning ozone-depleting substances such as CFCs under the 1987 Montreal Protocol (MP) was widely regarded as one of the most effective responses ever to a global environmental problem through international co-operation – and was expected to lead to a full recovery in the ozone layer.

The chemical, trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11), has been banned around the world since 2010 and is a potent destroyer of ozone, which protects the Earth from UV radiation and the effects of strong greenhouse gases.

But US scientists who monitor chemicals in the atmosphere, led by Dr Stephen Montzka at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Colorado, confirmed in May "shocking evidence showing significant and unexplained emissions of the ozone-destroying chemical CFC-11". But they could only narrow the source to somewhere in East Asia.

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Widespread use

Following an on-the-ground investigation, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), a non-governmental organisation based in the UK, has since identified widespread use of CFC-11 factories in China that make polyurethane (PU) foams. It identified factories that sold the chemicals needed for foam-making, then contacted and visited them, it confirmed in a statement on Monday.

“We were dumbfounded when out of 21 companies, 18 of them across China confirmed use of CFC-11, while acknowledging the illegality and being very blasé about its use,” said Avipsa Mahapatra at the EIA.

The companies said the use of CFC-11, known as a “blowing agent”, was rife in the sector. “It was very clear. These companies, again and again, told us everybody else does this,” she added.

China is a major producer of the rigid polyurethane foams involved and the EIA calculates that if the illegal use of CFC-11 is pervasive in the 3,500 small- and medium-sized companies that make up the sector, then this would explain the surge – CFC-11 is easy to produce and much cheaper than the ozone-friendly alternative.

“If China doesn’t stop this illegal production, it will imperil our slowly healing ozone layer,” said EIA US executive director Alexander von Bismarck. “CFC-11 is also a super global warmer, making this a serious threat for our climate as well.”

He added: “What we’ve uncovered is a systemic problem, not isolated incidents. It requires a comprehensive nationwide intelligence-led investigation and higher penalties throughout the sector that fit the crime.”

Recovery delayed

Without action, the CFC-11 emissions would delay the recovery of the planet’s ozone hole by a decade, according to atmospheric scientists.

“We didn’t know what on Earth someone would be using CFC-11 for – well, here’s one answer and that’s a surprise,” Dr Montzka said . “Despite efforts to get rid of this activity, it continues.”

EIA climate campaign leader Clare Perry said: "This is an environmental crime on a massive scale. Steps need to be taken to ensure enforcement and compliance with all the obligations of the Montreal Protocol . . . How the [IT]addresses this issue will determine whether it continues to merit its reputation as the world's most effective environmental treaty."

The EIA's evidence has been passed to the Chinese government and to officials overseeing implementation of the protocol. An MP working group monitoring its progress is meeting in Vienna this week to consider the next steps.

"This week will be a critical moment for dialogue, resolve and action to ensure any illegal activities are fully investigated and urgently halted," said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment, which hosts the MP.

PU foams are used mainly as insulation in buildings, either sprayed into cavities or applied as solid panels, and are in high demand due to China’s construction boom.

"The profit margins were very high, the demand was high and the risks were very low," Ms Mahapatra said. "That enabled these companies to use it so blatantly and is why we think this is so pervasive."

The Chinese government confirmed in 2016 there was “still a large volume of illegally produced CFC-11 being used in the foam industry” and that its production is “highly concealed”.

The EIA report acknowledges significant uncertainties in its calculation but believes it has been conservative in estimating 10,000 to 12,000 tonnes a year of CFC-11 leaking into the atmosphere from foam-making in China from 2012 to 2017.

- Additional reporting: Guardian Service