Australia - Proposed Scheduling Decision - Long Chain Perfluorocarboxylic Acids (LC PFCAs) and Proposed Scheduling Decision - Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)

Australia’s proposed Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) introduces nationally consistent controls for industrial chemicals. Chemicals listed in Schedule 6 would generally be prohibited from import, manufacture, use and export, subject to limited exemptions such as essential uses, trace contamination, research and environmentally sound disposal.

The proposed restrictions cover long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC PFCAs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HFCs).

They largely align with the Stockholm Convention and Montreal Protocol, but Australia proposes not to allow the Montreal Protocol’s essential-use exemption for air conditioning using HFCs.