EIA: F-gas deal “will drive innovation”
5th October 2023
UK: The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency has welcomed today’s agreement on a revised European F-gas regulation, saying it will drive innovation while supporting decarbonisation goals.
EIA UK senior climate campaigner Fionnuala Walravens said that the proposed bans would enable Europe to meet renewable heating targets without the undue uptake of “climate-wrecking” refrigerants.
“For the first time, Europe has taken account of the environmental impacts of HFCs and HFOs. The staggered bans provide much-needed certainty for equipment manufacturers and avoid the build-up of persistent PFAS in our environment,” she said.
Those bans are thought to include a full ban on the use of F-gases over 150 GWP in small (<12kW) monobloc heat pumps and air conditioning starting in 2027, and a complete phase-out in 2032. In the case of split air conditioning and heat pumps, the agreement is thought to include a full F-gas ban starting in 2035, with earlier deadlines for certain types of split systems with higher GWPs.
“Mapping out a pathway to support the longer-term vision, many sectors are selected for early climate wins,” the EIA said in its statement. “Rapid growth and innovation in F-gas-free natural refrigerant technologies has opened the door for new bans on domestic heat pumps and some air-conditioners using HFCs with global warming potentials (GWP) of 150 or more from 2027 and 2029.”
The EIA also welcomed the proposed introduction of certification schemes covering the safe handling of natural refrigerants which the EIA sees as one of the core barriers to the uptake of HFC alternatives.
Related stories:
Europe agrees F-gas deal – 5 October 2023
EUROPE: The European Parliament and Council has reached a provisional deal which will see specific bans on the use of HFCs and HFOs and a complete phase out of F-gases by 2050. Read more…
