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F-gas vote provides clarity for industry – Eickhout

EUROPE: The F-gas revision lead rapporteur Bas Eickhout has hailed yesterday’s EU parliamentary vote to phase-out hydrofluorocarbons by 2050 as “crucial” for the environment, while providing “clarity” for industry.

Following the 452 votes in favour to 92 against in the parliamentary plenary, it is expected that endorsement of the revision texts by the European Council will now be a formality prior to its publication in the EU Official Journal.

“Putting an end to F-gases is crucial, not only because these gases are extremely harmful for the climate, but we are also providing clarity and investment certainty for industry,” Bas Eickhout commented. “European companies are already at the forefront of developing clean alternatives to F-gases, so this law will be good for the climate and the European economy.”

Bas Eickhout: “This deal ensures that manufacturers of residential heat pumps will switch to climate-friendly alternatives in the coming years”

He also brushed aside concerns that the new regulation would hamper the heat pump roll-out and disrupt European plans to transition away from fossil fuels.  

“In a few years, residential heat pumps will be widely used across Europe as an alternative to oil and gas heating in peoples’ homes and are essential to our energy transition. To guarantee that heat pumps are a truly green alternative to fossil fuels, we must make sure that they are not dependent on the use of climate killing f-gases. This deal ensures that manufacturers of residential heat pumps will switch to climate-friendly alternatives in the coming years.”

Related stories:

EU passes F-gas revision at first reading16 January 2024
EUROPE: As expected, the revision proposal to the European F-gas regulation (517/2014) was passed at its first parliamentary reading in Strasbourg today. Read more…

F-gas revision expected to pass Euro vote – 15 January 2024
EUROPE: The proposals for the revision of the European F-gas regulation are expected to pass tomorrow’s European parliamentary vote with a large majority. Read more…

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 HFCs by 2050. Read more…

F-gas deal “will drive innovation” – 5 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. Read more…

F-gas revision will prolong reliance on fossil fuels – 5 October 2023
EUROPE: The European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE) has expressed its disappointment with the F-gas regulation revision and says it will prolong the reliance on fossil fuels. Read more…

New F-gas rules a significant burden – 5 October 2023
BELGIUM: The European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) has described today’s F-gas revision deal as creating a significant burden for industry in the short term. Read more…

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