Distr.

LIMITED

FCCC/CP/1998/L.7

10 November 1998

Original: ENGLISH

CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

Fourth session

Buenos Aires, 2-13 November 1998

Agenda item 3(a)

At its ninth session, the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice decided to recommend the following draft decision for adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its fourth session.

The Conference of the Parties,

Noting the need to implement multilateral environmental agreements in a coherent way for the benefit of the global environment,

Recalling that the ultimate objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system,

Noting the ongoing efforts to phase out ozone depleting substances under the

Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, and that hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons are among the substances which are being used as replacements for ozone depleting substances,

EZE.98-

Noting further that hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons have high global

warming potentials and are listed in Annex A to the Kyoto Protocol to the

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for achieving quantified

emission limitation and reduction commitments of aggregated anthropogenic carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of greenhouse gases by Annex I Parties,

Considering that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is seeking to provide further scientific and technical information on present and future sources and levels of emissions of hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons, and options to mitigate those emissions,

Noting that the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice with the assistance of the secretariat, is continuing its work on methodologies used by Parties for establishing estimates of emissions of hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons,

Noting further the need to consider available and potential ways and means of limiting emissions of hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons in the context of the

Kyoto Protocol,

1. Invites Parties, the relevant bodies of the Montreal Protocol, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, intergovernmental organizations and

non-governmental organizations to provide information on available and potential ways and means of limiting emissions of hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons, including their use as replacements for ozone depleting substances, to the secretariat by 15 July 1999;

2. Encourages the convening of a workshop by the Intergovernmental Panel

on Climate Change and the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel of the

Montreal Protocol in 1999 which will assist the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice to establish information on available and potential ways and means of limiting emissions of hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons, and invites the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to report on the results of such a joint workshop to the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice at its eleventh session, if possible;

3. Requests the secretariat to compile the information provided, including, if available, the conclusions of the workshop, for consideration by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice at its eleventh session;

4. Requests the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice to report on this information at the fifth session of the Conference of the Parties, and to seek further guidance from the Conference of the Parties on this matter at that session.