What are Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)?
- HFCs are a family of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that are largely used in refrigerants in home, car air-conditioners and air sprays etc.
- These factory-made gases had replaced CFCs under the 1987 Montreal Protocol to protect Earth’s fragile protective Ozone layer and heal the ozone hole over the Antartica.
Why they are harmful?
- In recent times, it was found that HFCs have several thousand times capacity in retaining heat in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide (CO2), a potent GHG.
- Thus, it can be said that HFCs have helped ozone layer but exacerbated global warming.
- Currently, HFCs are currently the world’s fastest GHGs, with emissions increasing by up to 10% each year