Changes in HCFC emissions from foam sector in eastern China from 2000-2019

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances, and existing HCFC emission studies lack a comprehensive study of multiple HCFCs in a single consumption sector. China is a large producer and consumer of HCFCs. The HCFC bank in foam sector in 2019 accounted for 91.3% of the national total, and foam sector was also the second largest source of HCFC emissions. Therefore, the estimation of HCFC emissions and banks for the foam sector is quite important. In this study, the multiple HCFC emission inventory for foam sector in eastern China from 2000 to 2019 was first established by using the bottom-up method. The results showed that the HCFC emissions and bank were 14.9 kt and 453.5 kt in 2019. HCFC-141b used in the polyurethane (PU) foam sector had the largest annual emissions, cumulative emissions, and bank due to its high consumption. The total emissions of HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b used in the extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam sector were similar to those of HCFC-141b. The HCFC emissions from the foam sector were mainly distributed among the three provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shandong. The cumulative GWP- and ODP-weighted emissions of HCFCs were 240.6 Mt CO2-eq and 14.3 kt CFC-11-eq, respectively. The results showed that in order to response to climate change or ozone depletion, we should prioritize the emission reduction of HCFC-22 and XPS foam sector, or HCFC-141b and PU foam sector.