針對在歐盟碳交易市場上禁止某些工業溫室氣體的排放權，中國已經做出了回應，威脅釋放具破壞性的溫室氣體至大氣層中，除非已發展國家肯付出一般環保團體通稱的「氣候贖金」。
根據非營利組織「環境調查協會」（Environmental Investigation Agency）與「清潔發展機制監督」（CDM Watch），儘管中國已經收到超過美金10億元以上的援助金以處理製造HCFC-22（俗稱氟利昂-22，一種破壞臭氧層的氣體）冷媒所產生的廢氣，中方仍堅持收取高於成本的費用，以支付處理替代HCFC-22的冷媒氣體。氟利昂22是。
這種替代氣體HFC-23（三氟甲烷）並不會破壞地球的臭氧層，但卻是一種具破壞性的溫室氣體，破壞性遠超過二氧化碳。根據聯合國的清潔發展機制（Clean Development Mechanism）估計，在大氣層中一噸的HFC-23會產生相當於11,700噸二氧化碳的效應。
在京都議定書之下建立的清潔發展機制，允許已開發國家利用在如中國等其他開發中國家投資降低溫室氣體排放計畫，來達成降低溫室氣體排放的義務。簽署京都議定書的已開發國家可由此管道獲得減排額度的認證，並可以在碳交易市場上出售或交易。
歐盟國家一直是與HFC-23有關的碳額度計畫的主要交易市場。但是現在，歐盟與聯合國的清潔發展機制執行董事會提議停止支付HFC-23摧毀計畫的經費，因此促使中國威脅釋放更多的HFC-23到大氣層中。
今年稍早清潔發展機制監督組織要求清潔發展機制執行董事會更改HFC-23現有的規定。清潔發展機制監督是一個位於柏林與波昂的公民監督組織，由歐洲氣候基金會以及德國環境部發起的國際氣候保護行動所贊助。
11月26日，清潔發展機制執行董事會決定修訂管理HFC-23的條文，表示現有的管理方法可能導致過度發行碳額度。
同場會議中，清潔發展機制執行董事會批准了中國提出的14個位於不同設施的HFC-23認證減排額度申請。
清潔發展機制監督組織的費茲默瑟（Eva Filzmoser）表示，「清潔發展機制主要的目標在於提升清潔科技的發展，而不是為產業創造超額的利潤，但就像一些企業投資者，中國似乎有種錯覺認為碳交易市場僅是一種創新的賺錢工具而已。」
總部位於倫敦的環境調查協會指出，這些提出申請的認證減排額度證明製造業者「利用製造更多溫室氣體，以便收取更多經費來處理這些氣體，這是在跟清潔發展機制系統賭博並且破壞碳交易市場。」環境調查協會與清潔發展機制監督組織合作揭發了碳額度的濫用。
清潔發展機制的執行董事會在歐盟版本的提案提出數天後做出決定。歐盟執委會（European Commission）提議自2013年1月之後，歐盟排放交易計劃下的額度禁用HFC-23及其溫室氣體一氧化二氮（nitrous oxide,俗稱笑氣）。
歐盟執委會表示此項提議是為了保護清潔發展機制的健全性。
歐盟執委會在表達其立場的說明書寫道，「清潔發展機制已經建立了相當的規模，比原先預期設想的規模要大得多。目前已有超過2,400個計畫完成註冊，還有數千個排隊等候註冊。這個提案僅會衝擊其中大約100個以下的計畫。」
歐盟執委會寫道，「清潔發展機制幫助了歐盟在京都議定書的目標內，減少為了符合法規需付出的費用，加速許多技術轉移到開發中國家，並且已經把碳訂價訊號（carbon price signal）拓展到遠超於歐盟的範疇外。」
但是與HFC-23及笑氣計劃有關的業界利益關係人已經發起激烈的抗議活動來表示對清潔發展機制執行董事會決定的不信任，並且蓄意打壓歐盟的提議。
今年12月初，中國清潔發展機制基金管理中心（China Clean Development Mechanism Fund）的副主任陳歡（Chen Huan）參與國際碳交易協會（International Emissions Trading Association）以及其他歐盟碳交易者共同批評歐盟的提議。他表示已開發國家只想要推動減排卻不提供援助。
陳歡警告若沒有清潔發展機制，中國的HCFC-22製造業者可能又會開始在大氣層中釋放HFC-23。
環境調查協會表示，「事實上，儘管中國經由摧毀HFC-23獲取了巨額的金錢，但是中國從未停止排放HFC-23。」
中國最近拒絕了經由蒙特婁議定書幫助開發中國家減少HFC-23排放的嘗試，蒙特婁議定書是規範破壞臭氧層物質的國際文件。
在11月8日到12日於曼谷舉行的第二十二屆蒙特婁議定書參與方會議中，中國與印度拒絕允許討論有關一項提議草案，草案中提議利用蒙特婁議定書的多邊基金來支付摧毀HFC-23排放尚未被清潔發展機制完全涵蓋的範圍－這相當於超過一半以上的HFC-23排放。
環境調查協會的渥芮芬（Fionnuala Walravens）指出，「這種堅持要已開發國家持續揮霍數十億以上的金額來抵銷溫室氣體排放，但實際上卻增加溫室氣體排放量的情形是不合理的。」
她表示，「中國並不是受害者。並且為了回應氣候變遷的世界性條約不太可能會以執迷不悔的貪婪為根據。」
每年被排放到大氣層中的HFC-23比經由清潔發展機制計畫被摧毀的HFC-23更多。根據估計，超過90%的HFC-23排放來自中國。而沒有任何從清潔發展機制得到的經費被使用於銷毀HFC-23，儘管所需花費不大。
清潔發展機制計畫稅率為65%，中國政府已經接受了足夠的錢來資助數十年的所有HFC-23摧毀計畫。
在2012年之前，中國清潔發展機制基金管理中心將經由HFC-23課稅，收到總計超過17億美元的經費，這筆經費足以支付長達約40年在中國摧毀HFC-23的費用。
每年全球直接減少HFC-23的製造量花費估計約為6千萬美元。
在已發行認證減排額度中，超過70%都來自HFC-23以及一氧化二氮計畫，大部分都來自中國及印度。
清潔發展機制監督以及環境調查協會表示，「這波廉價的排放額度狂潮已經貶低碳價，更讓國內的減排努力與對未開發國家的投資降低信心。」
China has answered efforts to ban credits from industrial gas projects in the European carbon market by threatening to release potent greenhouse gases into the atmosphere unless developed nations pay what environmental groups are calling a "climate ransom."
Despite having received nearly US$1 billion to destroy waste gas produced during the manufacture of HCFC-22 refrigerant, an ozone-depleting gas, China is insisting on continued payments above the actual cost of destroying a substitute refrigerant gas, according to the nonprofit groups Environmental Investigation Agency and CDM Watch.
The substitute gas, HFC-23, does not deplete the Earth's ozone layer but it is a potent greenhouse gas, far more destructive than carbon dioxide. The secretariat of the UN's Clean Development Mechanism estimates that one ton of HFC-23 in the atmosphere has the same effect as 11,700 tons of carbon dioxide.
Established under the Kyoto Protocol, the Clean Development Mechanism allows developed countries to fulfill their greenhouse gas emission reduction obligations by investing in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries such as China.
The developed countries with Kyoto Protocol commitments can earn certified emission reduction credits that can be sold or traded on carbon markets.
European countries have been the major market for carbon credits associated with HFC-23 destruction projects under the Clean Development Mechanism.
But now, the European Union and the UN's Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board are proposing to block further payments for HFC-23 removal projects, prompting China's threat to release greater amounts of HFC-23 into the atmosphere.
A request to revise existing rules for HFC-23 projects was submitted to the CDM Executive Board earlier this year by CDM Watch, a watchdog group based in Berlin and Bonn, which is sponsored by the European Climate Foundation and the International Climate Protection Initiative of the German Environment Ministry.
On November 26, the CDM Executive Board decided to revise the rules governing HFC-23 destruction, saying that the current methods could lead to over-issuance of carbon credits.
At the same meeting, the Executive Board approved 14 requests by China for certification of HFC-23 emission reduction credits at various facilities.
"The principal aim of the Clean Development Mechanism is to boost clean development, not to create exorbitant profits for industry," said Eva Filzmoser of CDM Watch. "Like a number of corporate investors, China seems to be operating under the delusion that carbon markets are simply an innovative tool to make money."
The submission provides evidence that manufacturers are "gaming the CDM system and undermining carbon markets by producing more potent greenhouse gases just so they can get paid to destroy them," according to the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency, which worked with CDM Watch to expose the misuse.
The CDM Executive Board's decision came just days after a European Commission proposal to ban the use of HFC-23 and the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide from credits under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme as of January 2013.
The commission says it proposed the ban to protect the integrity of the Clean Development Mechanism.
"CDM has developed into a considerable scale, much bigger than expected at the time it was conceived," the commission explained in its position paper on the issue. "Over 2,400 projects have now been registered and several thousands more are in the pipeline waiting for registration. This impact assessment concerns less than 100 of them."
"The CDM has helped reduce compliance costs for the EU with its targets under the Kyoto Protocol, facilitated some technology transfer to developing countries and has extended the carbon price signal far beyond the EU," the commission wrote.
But industry players with a stake in HFC-23 and nitrous oxide projects have mounted an aggressive campaign to discredit the CDM Executive Board's decision and sabotage the EU's proposal.
In early December, Chen Huan, the deputy director of the China Clean Development Mechanism Fund, joined the International Emissions Trading Association and other European carbon traders in criticizing the EU's proposal. He claimed that developed countries were pushing for emission reductions without offering aid.
Huan warned that in the absence of the Clean Development Mechanism, Chinese HCFC-22 manufacturers might start releasing HFC-23 into the atmosphere again.
"In fact," the Environmental Investigation Agency says, "despite the vast sums earned for HFC-23 destruction through the Clean Development Mechanism, China has never stopped venting HFC-23."
China recently rejected attempts to help developing countries abate HFC-23 emissions through the Montreal Protocol, which governs substances that destroy the ozone layer.
At the 22nd Montreal Protocol Meeting of the Parties in Bangkok November 8-12, China and India refused to allow discussion of a proposal to use the Montreal Protocol's Multilateral Fund to pay for destroying HFC-23 emissions not currently covered by the Clean Development Mechanism - over half of all HFC-23 emissions.
"The insistence that developed countries must continue to squander billions on fake offsets that actually increase production of greenhouse gases is irrational," said Fionnuala Walravens, with Environmental Investigation Agency.
"China is not the victim here," she said, "and it's unlikely that a world order that is responsive to climate change can be predicated on the basis of unrepentant greed."
Annually, more HFC-23 is vented into the atmosphere than is destroyed through Clean Development Mechanism projects. Almost 90 percent of these rogue HFC-23 emissions are estimated to come from China, which has failed to use any of its Clean Development Mechanism windfall to destroy HFC-23 at its non-Clean Development Mechanism facilities despite the modest cost of doing so.
With a 65 percent tax on Clean Development Mechanism projects, the Chinese government has already received enough money to fund all HFC-23 destruction for decades.
By 2012, China's Clean Development Mechanism Fund will have received over $1.7 billion from HFC-23 taxation - or enough to fund the actual cost of HFC-23 destruction in China for almost 40 years.
The estimated annual cost of directly mitigating all global HFC-23 production is just $60 million.
More than 70 percent of all certified emission reduction credits issued to date have come from HFC-23 and nitrous oxide projects, mostly in China and India.
CDM Watch and the Environmental Investigation Agency say, "This flood of cheap credits has devalued carbon prices, discouraging domestic mitigation efforts and investment in Least Developed Countries."
全文及圖片詳見：ENS
