India adopts law to halt emissions of HFC-23

India has a new law that controls on emissions of hyrofluorocarbon-23, a highly potent greenhouse gas. HFC-23 is a by-product of the manufacturing of the widely used refrigerant hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22. A recent order from India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change asks industries to “urgently and immediately” destroy HFC-23 rather than releasing it to the environment. The ministry has directed the five registered companies producing HFC-23 to destroy the gas via incineration using “an efficient and proven technology.” The order came after Indian Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave announced at an international meeting in October that India will eliminate HFC-23 production as part of its commitment to combat the climate threat posed by HFCs. At that meeting, countries agreed to phase out the production and use of HFCs, a group of chemicals largely used as substitutes for stratospheric ozone depleting HCFCs and hydrochlorofluorocarbons.