Climate change issues: IPCC Report 2007

The IPCC 4th Assessment Report Climate Change 2007, which was released in May 2007, provides very valuable figures on greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions, including those of fluorinated gases (CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs) used in refrigeration. - In 2004, the global emissions CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs and SF6 - the 6 gases governed by the Kyoto Protocol - and weighted according to their global warming potential (GWP), was 49 Gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (GtCO2-eq), as compared with 28.7 GtCO2-eq in 1970 (+70%). Annual emissions of all fluorinated gases are estimated as being 2.5 GtCO2-eq (5.1%). Stocks of these fluorinated gases are much larger and currently represent about 21 GtCO2-eq. -Emissions of CFCs and HCFCs which are ozone-depleting substances (ODS) - and also greenhouse gases - controlled under the Montreal Protocol accounted for some 20% of total GHG emissions by 1975, with slight fluctuations during the period 1975-1989. Once the phase-out of CFCs was decided, the CFCs' + HCFCs' share in total GHG emissions fell rapidly to 8% (1995) then 4% (2000). It is estimated that this share will be about 1-2% of total GHG emissions for the year 2015 - dependent on the scenario chosen - while emissions of all other GHGs are estimated at about 55 Gt CO2-eq. The percentage of HCFC emissions in the total of CFC and HCFC emissions for the year 2015 is projected to be about 70% independently of the scenario chosen. -Emissions of HFCs were 0.55 GtCO2-eq (1.1% of total GHG emissions) in 2004 and are projected to be 1.2 GtCO2-eq in 2015 (2.2%).