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Japan’s HFC emissions rise 4.7%

JAPAN: Latest figures reveal that Japan’s hydrofluorocarbon emissions rose by 4.7% in 2018 to 2.1 million tonnes, despite overall CO2 emissions falling for the fifth year in succession.

The figures from Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and the National Institute for Environmental Studies reveal that, while the country’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3.9% in 2018 compared to 2017, hydrofluorocarbon emissions from refrigerants are increasing every year. 

From this month, the government is said to be strengthening the penalties for illegal disposal to reduce emissions.

Overall GHG emissions in 2018 were 1,240MtCO2eq. This is a 3.9% decrease on 2017, a 12% decrease compared to 2013 and a 10.2% decrease compared to 2005.

Latest News

25th October 2026

Committee backs delinking gas and electricity prices

UK: The UK government should move all remaining energy transition policy costs from electricity costs onto the price of gas on energy bills, advises a new select committee report.
24th October 2026

House of Lords event marks HVACR Women Week

UK: As the industry prepares to celebrate the inaugural Global HVACR Women Week, the sector came together on Thursday to mark the launch and discuss the sector’s successes.
24th October 2026

Clivet rooftops using R454C

ITALY: Clivet has introduced a new generation of rooftop air-conditioning units using the lower GWP A2L refrigerant R454C.
23rd October 2026

Court installation judges R290 chillers

UK: Panasonic has supplied six 80kW ECOi-W Aqua-G Blue R290 chillers as part of a major cooling infrastructure upgrade at Leeds Magistrates Court.
23rd October 2026

Solid refrigerant firm receives $8.5m funding

USA: Pascal, a developer of barocaloric solid refrigerant technology, has raised additional funding of $8.5m to support the technology’s initial deployments with a multinational beverage manufacturer.
23rd October 2026

Westfalen opens R290 plant

GERMANY: Industrial gases manufacturer and retailer the Westfalen Group has opened a new plant to produce high-purity refrigerant R290 at its site in Münster-Gelmer.