ATMOsphere Network at the 35th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol

Nairobi, Kenya – October 25, 2023

ATMOsphere Network at the 35th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol

ABOUT THE EVENT

The event will be held during lunch break, from 1 to 3 pm EAT on Wednesday October 25. Attendees and delegates joining the week of negotiations are welcomed to room CR-10.

The ATMOsphere Network side event, discussing the issue of persistent chemicals such as per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also labelled as “forever chemicals,” in relation to fluorinated gases used as refrigerants, will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, at the 35^th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP35).

The event aims to shed light on the risk posed by continue reliance on persistent chemicals in heating and cooling applications. Experts will discuss thoroughly the issue of persistence related to PFAS, fluorinated gases and their degradation products, such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA).

This event will include brief presentations, and a Q&A session. A light lunch will be served before the kick off of the event.

Programme

Wednesday, October 25, 2023. Room CR-10.

13:00 - Presentations

Experts will discuss thoroughly the issue of persistence related to PFAS, fluorinated gases and their degradation products, such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA).

Professor Ian Cousins, Stockholm University will discuss the problems related to continue emission of persistent chemicals such as PFAS, touching on the framework of planetary boundaries. Much of Cousins’s recent work has focused on PFAS, working closely with analytical chemists to better understand the behavior of PFAS and other substances.

Professor Hans Peter Arp Norwegian Geotechnical Institute & Norwegian University of Science and Technology, will further analyze the risk of continue emissions of TFA into the environment. Arp is interested in how different types of pollutants, such as microplastics, PFAS, PAHs, POPs and metals behave in the environment.

Philipp Denzinger, the Green Cooling Initiative, & Thomas Trevisan, ATMOsphere will explain to attendees the availability of alternatives to halogenated substances in the Global South and across multiple heating and cooling applications.