EIA applauds positive F-gas vote
1st March 2023
UK: Green group the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has applauded the “urgently needed” F-gas bans voted on today by the European Parliament’s Environment Committee (ENVI).
The ENVI Committee, which proposes to ban fluorinated gases in new equipment in most sectors before the end of the decade, is seen by the EIA as having “significant benefits” for the climate as well as for European manufacturers in the swift transition to “natural” refrigerants.
“Timely bans are the cornerstone of the F-gas regulation, allowing manufacturers certainty over product development and helping end users avoid costly investment in soon-to-be-obsolete technologies,” said EIA climate campaign leader Clare Perry.
In a press statement, the EIA took a swipe at industry criticisms of the proposals as being unrealistic and jeopardising EU climate targets, describing it as “rhetoric from unprogressive industry alliances dominated by multinational companies seeking to profit from prolonged use of HFCs”.
On the contrary, the EIA says: “The ENVI Committee proposes several measures to ensure compatibility with increased heat pump deployment under the bloc’s REPowerEU Plan. These include additional time for implementing bans, allowing the European Commission flexibility to respond to any unforeseen market disruptions and financial support toward deployment of heat pumps relying on natural refrigerants and training of installers.”
“The ENVI Committee report represents the first known initiative by a major legislative committee to phase out HFCs, most of which are not only super greenhouse gases but per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), toxic substances also referred to as ‘forever chemicals’,” added EIA senior lawyer & policy advisor Tim Grabiel.
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