Past, present, and future emissions of HCFC-141b in China

According to the Montreal Protocol, China is required to phase-out hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 2030. Compound 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane (CH3CCl2F, HCFC-141b) has an ozone depleting potential (ODP, 0.11) and global warming potential (GWP, 782), and is widely used in the polyurethane foam and solvent sectors in China. This study compiles a comprehensive emission inventory of HCFC-141b during 2000-2013 and makes a projection to 2050. Our results showed that HCFC-141b emissions in China increased from 0.8 Gg/yr (0.6 CO2-eq Tg/yr) in 2000 to 15.8 Gg/yr (12.4 CO2-eq Tg/yr) in 2013 with an accelerated growth rate. The provincial emission distribution showed that Shandong, Jiangsu, and Guangdong are key emission areas in China. A large amount of stock was retained in installed equipment, which may have an impact in the future. For future phasing-out, it was estimated that under the Montreal Planned Phase-out scenario (MPP), the accumulative reduction of HCFC-141b emissions during 2014-2050 would be 3071.0 Gg (2401.5 CO2-eq Tg) compared to that under the Business-as-usual (BAU) scenario. This study reviewed and predicted HCFC-141b emissions and their environmental impacts in China.