Hydrofluorocarbon emission reduction : a crucial contribution to climate protection : proposals to enhance European climate ambition / by Daniel de Graaf, Cornelia Elsner, Gabriele Hoffmann, Kerstin Martens, Diana Thalheim and Wolfgang Plehn ; publisher: Umweltbundesamt ; responsible unit: Section III, 1.4 Substance-related Product Issues

Abstract

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are the dominant fraction of fluorinated greenhouse gases, also known as F-gases. HFC emissions in the European Union (EU) amounted to 112 million tonnes ⁠CO2⁠ equivalent (Mt CO2eq.) in 2018. This amounts to 2,2% of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Main sources of HFC emissions are refrigeration and air conditioning plants and appliances. Following a proposal by the EU Commission, EU member states and the EU parliament just recently agreed to increase the 2030 target from 40% to 55% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to the 1990 level. This considerable step-up of climate ambition by more than a third needs to be reflected also in the revision process of the F-gas Regulation, regardless of the achievements already made to curb F-gas emissions. On the occasion of the F-gas Regulation revision, the German Environment Agency proposes the acceleration of the phase-down scenario, resulting in larger reduction steps from 2024 on and a final level of 10% of the baseline by 2030 compared to 21% according to the current schedule.