Further ambition urged in F-gas negotiations
EUROPE: A large group of companies working with “natural” refrigerant-based solutions have signed a letter calling on policymakers to show further ambition in the revision of the F-gas regulation.
The letter, organised by “natural” refrigerant lobbyists Atmosphere, is signed by 27 companies so far. It will be presented to policymakers in the run-up to the next trilogue meeting and at next week’s Atmosphere Europe Summit 2023 in Brussels.
The group, which includes manufacturers and contractors, insists that Europe leads the world in advanced RACHP technologies and, with an ambitious EU F-gas regulation, could continue to set the pace globally, boost innovation and create jobs, while respecting the environment.
Heading the four policy points is a repeated call for “natural” refrigerants training and certification to be made mandatory as part of the F-gas regulations, something which has so far been side-stepped by policymakers.
The group also calls for AR6 GWP values and 20-year GWP lifetimes to be taken into consideration when drafting climate legislation. The F-gas regulation uses HFC GWPs based on 100-year lifetime figures under the IPCC’s AR4 values. While the most recent AR6 figures have nudged the GWPs of most HFCs upwards, some argue that the 20-year lifetime figures best reflect the ‘real’ GWP impact of fluorinated substances. For instance, the 100-year GWP of R32 is 675 under AR4 and 771 under AR6, but the 20-year lifetime figure is 2690 under AR6.
In light of the potential for virtually all HFC and HFO refrigerants to be banned under future PFAS regulations, the “natural” refrigerants group urges policymakers to support widely available PFAS-free alternatives today in the new EU F-gas Regulation to avoid additional environmental pollution.
Finally, the group offers a new timetable of bans, which they see as the best compromise to support European innovation:
Atmosphere Europe Summit 2023 takes place in Brussels from September 19–20. Further details and booking here.
