The amount of climate-warming fluorinated gases used by EU industries has fallen for the third successive year, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency.
The report shows that both supply and production of fluorinated greenhouse gases (so-called F-gases) continued a downward trend in 2013.
The majority of F-gases supplied to the EU market are intended for use in refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment. The use of F-gases for these purposes, and in particular in insulation foams, has been declining thanks to EU legislation to control the potent gases as part of its policy to combat climate change.
New rules that come into effect in January 2015 will cut emissions from fluorinated gases by two-thirds of today's levels by 2030. The new legislation will also ban the use of F-gases in some new equipment such as household fridges, where viable and more climate-friendly alternatives are available.
The revised Regulation will contribute to the EU's objective of cutting its overall greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% of 1990 levels by 2050 as well as stimulate innovation, green jobs and growth by encouraging the use of green technologies based on less climate-harmful refrigerants.
The legislation should also improve prospects for a future global agreement to phase down the use of F-gases under the Montreal Protocol on the protection of the ozone layer.
Fluorinated gases (F-gases) are a family of powerful greenhouse gases with a warming effect on the atmosphere up to 23,000 times stronger than carbon dioxide. Fluorinated gases include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
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Details
- Publication date
- 29 September 2014
- Author
- Directorate-General for Climate Action