The long-term availability of HFCs survived another effort at phase-down during the 23rd Meeting of the Parties (MOP23) to the Montreal Protocol held in November 2011. Participants did not reach agreement on taking any action to control HFCs. A proposal for phase-down of HFCs did not advance very far at the meeting. Opponents led by representatives from China, India, and Brazil continued to argue that the Montreal Protocol was designed to address ozone depleting gases, of which HFCs are not. They said any issue related to HFCs should be in the context of the Kyoto Protocol, which was established to address the global warming issue. Kyoto, however, has not made significant progress in that regard.
At the same time, efforts continued to get global warming potential (GWP) gases incorporated into the Montreal Protocol. Some 29 delegations from developed and developing countries as well as several environmentalist groups voiced support for controlling HFCs under the Montreal Protocol. Seven country delegations and one organization from China expressed opposition. But the effort did not produce consensus on GWP gases falling under Montreal Protocol regulations.