MEXICO CITY, November 3 (IPS) - At first glance, a data centre in Mexico draws little attention, as it is usually housed in an industrial park, out of public view. But, in addition to emitting greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides, its cooling and fire suppression systems contain substances with strong environmental and health impacts: the so-called “forever chemicals”. IPS found that at least five data centres operating in Mexico use hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a group of synthetic gases with a global warming potential up to 7,000 times higher than that of CO2, the human-induced gas responsible for global warming. These gases also have an atmospheric lifetime of 15 years, according to data from ATMOsphere, an independent global accelerator for the air conditioning market. Research published by U.S. government institutions has concluded that these gases accumulate in air, water and soil, and can be absorbed by animals and plants through ingestion or contact. They are also highly mobile, to the point of being present in the Arctic and the Himalayas, according to a 2023 study. Forever chemicals, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are a large family of over 15,000 synthetic chemicals. They are needed...

The Kigali Amendment, a global agreement to phase down hydrofluorocarbons, has driven a steep decline in the use of the potent greenhouse gases, offering a rare success story in international climate…

Australia has ratified an agreement to phase out hydrofluorocarbons, a manmade compound once hailed as the saviour of the ozone layer. What went wrong?

Australia has ratified an agreement to phase out hydrofluorocarbons, a manmade compound once hailed as the saviour of the ozone layer. What went wrong?

The Montreal Protocol, officially the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer,

China has far exceeded its phase-one compliance targets for potent greenhouse gases known as HFCs, or hydrofluorocarbons, a senior environment official said on Wednesday, with the annual destruction of 17,000 metric tons of HFC-23 alone over the past five years equivalent to reducing more than 250 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Xu Bijiu, vice-minister of ecology and environment, made the remarks while speaking at an event in Beijing which marked the 2026 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer and the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Since accepting the Kigali Amendment in 2021, China has cut HFC production by about 1.2 billion tons and consumption by 759 million tons of CO2 equivalent from baseline levels, Xu said. HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer and are therefore used as replacements for some ozone-depleting substances. However, because they are potent greenhouse gases, the Kigali Amendment was adopted in 2016 to gradually reduce their production and consumption. China's reduction in ozone-depleting substances accounts for more than half of the total reductions contributed by developing countries, Xu said. The country has rolled out a series...

What good things haThis daily column at GNN.org features all the good news, anniversaries and notable birthdays from this day in history—September 16.

China has far exceeded its phase-one compliance targets for potent greenhouse gases known as HFCs, or hydrofluorocarbons, a senior environment official said on Wednesday, with the annual destruction of 17,000 metric tons of HFC-23 alone over the past five years equivalent to reducing more than 250 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Xu Bijiu, vice-minister of ecology and environment, made the remarks while speaking at an event in Beijing which marked the 2026 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer and the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Since accepting the Kigali Amendment in 2021, China has cut HFC production by about 1.2 billion metric tons and consumption by 759 million tons of CO2 equivalent from baseline levels, Xu said. HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer and are therefore used as replacements for some ozone-depleting substances. However, because they are potent greenhouse gases, the Kigali Amendment was adopted in 2016 to gradually reduce their production and consumption. China's reduction in ozone-depleting substances accounts for more than half of the total reductions contributed by developing countries, Xu said. The country has rolled out a...