Header image of the ozone hole. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre
InHALE is a research project funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council under the Highlight Topics, a route for funding strategic research.
Since the mid-20th century, halocarbons – a group of chemicals used widely as refrigerants, foam blowing agents, solvents, and propellants – have had a major influence on the stratospheric ozone layer and climate. Observations of the abundance of these compounds in the atmosphere reveal complex trends driven by changes in their production and use, and by the landmark environmental treaty, the Montreal Protocol. Since the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987, growth rates of the regulated ozone depleting substances (ODSs), the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), have declined substantially. However, concentrations of their replacements, the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are potent greenhouse gases (GHGs), are increasing rapidly. Therefore, in 2019, the Kigali Amendment to the MP came into force, aiming to limit future growth of HFCs and preserve the Montreal Protocol’s impact on climate.
Recent measurement and model studies, many of which were led by our team, have revealed that there remain substantial scientific challenges that must be addressed to ensure the continued success of the Montreal Protocol:
- Identifying unreported production
- Finding missing emissions
- Quantifying growth and impacts of unregulated ODSs
- Detecting emerging halocarbons
- Evaluating breakdown products with potentially harmful environmental impacts
- Assessing climate impact
These will be addressed over the four year period of the InHALE Project. Further detail can be found in research.