About: HFC

Gulf states resist EU-led cuts to ozone-depleting refrigerant

The EU has released its first quotas for HFCs as part of a plan to phase out the refrigeration gasses. There is broad global consensus on the subject, but oil-producing countries in the Gulf region are holding up an international agreement. EURACTIV France reports. 

Ban F-gases – and boost Europe’s economy!

Outlawing 'super-greenhouse gases' would be a quick win for Europe’s industry and the climate, argues Duncan Brack.

Sectoral f-gas approach needed to strengthen green growth

An ambitious f-gas regulation offers an excellent opportunity to incentivise green growth, argues Maxime Bureau.

France blocks new Daimler car registrations over air coolant row

France has blocked the registration of some new Daimler Mercedes cars in an escalating row over the German company’s use of a banned air conditioning coolant, EU sources say.

German agency steps in as mediator in Daimler-EU spat

Germany's federal environment agency said on Thursday (14 February) it has proposed Brussels grant luxury automaker Daimler until the end of 2015 to meet new European Union laws mandating the use of climate-friendly air conditioning refrigerants in cars.

Call to ban ozone-depleting gases entering Europe by sea

A call to close European ports to containers made from the world’s most harmful ozone-eating HCFC gas has been issued by the world’s largest container shipping company – and by Europe's largest conservation group.

Daimler faces legal action threat over green air conditioning

The German car company, Daimler, is facing potential infringement proceedings from Brussels after announcing an intention to defy EU legislation and continue using a super greenhouse gas in its car air conditioning systems next year.

EU scales back planned F-gas bans, opts for phase-out

The EU has abandoned plans to ban global warming fluorinated gases from Europe’s commercial and industrial refrigerators, opting largely for a ‘phase-down’ approach intended to reduce the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions to a third of today’s levels by 2030.

Draft EU law slaps F-gas ban on domestic fridges

The European Commission has drawn up a plan to outlaw planet-warming hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in domestic refrigerators and freezers by 2015, and commercial coolers by 2020, under a draft regulation seen by EURACTIV.

Report: Europe could kick the F-gas habit by 2020

Most fluorinated greenhouse gases (also known as F-Gases), used in today’s mobile air conditioning and refrigeration units, could realistically be banned across the EU by 2020, a new report says.

Brussels weighs billion-dollar F-gas industry ban

Planet-warming gases used to power Europe's refrigerators and air conditioning should be banned or face a weighting system based on their global warming potential, a consultants' report to the EU says.

Keeping cool with refrigerants: The F-gas review

Fluorinated gases power the world's refrigerants and air conditioning systems, and make up around 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But if business continues as usual, by 2050 they could be responsible for between 9%-19% of global emissions, prompting EU policymakers to take action to contain leakage or even ban their use.

Commission proposes ban on industrial gas offsets

The European Commission yesterday (25 November) presented plans to ban the use of controversial international offset credits from certain industrial gas projects in the EU's cap-and-trade system after 2012.

EU states express doubts over carbon offset ban

European Union member states may oppose new rules on how far their factories and power plants can offset their carbon emissions, to be proposed by the European Commission, environment ministries told Reuters.

Fluorinated gases and climate change

EU lawmakers in January 2006 struck an agreement on a proposal to cut down emissions of fluorinated gases as part of the Kyoto protocol on climate change. F-gases are widely used in refrigeration and air conditioning but have a high global warming potential and can sometimes stay in the atmosphere for thousands of years. The agreement mainly seeks to improve the containment and recovery of F-gases and imposes regular checks on industrial refrigeration installations. After much discussion, the compromise allows countries like Denmark and Austria to maintain stricter controls than elsewhere in Europe until 2012. A phase-out of HFC-134a in car air conditioning has also been approved as of 2011 with a complete ban applying from 2017.

Food & drinks giants line-up with green activists on HFC reduction

McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Greenpeace and the UN environment programme (UNEP) were unexpected bedfellows at a conference on innovative climate-friendly refrigeration.

US environment agency gives climate protection award to the Commission

The 'F-gas team' at the Commission's DG environment was rewarded for the open way in which it handled the phase out of greenhouse gases in cars' air conditioning systems.

New rules on F-gases adopted as bill goes through Parliament

F-gases in cars' air conditioning systems are to be banned from 2014, but will be maintained in refrigerators and other home equipment. Environmentalists say Parliament bowed to industry pressures.

Proposed ban on F-gases gets cool reception

The ban on fluorinated gases (F-gases) proposed by the Parliament's environment committee has left industry concerned and NGOs only mildly happy.

MEPs consider possible ban on fluorinated gases in car’s air conditioning systems

The Parliament's Environment Committee will be examining a draft regulation on fluorinated gases with global warming effects on 17 February. The draft has been tightened to include a ban on their use in cars by 2011.

Industry worried about plans to control fluorinated gases

A stakeholder workshop, hosted by the European Fluorocarbon industry, discussed possible plans by the European Commission to regulate the use of fluorinated gases on 16 April. In an open and transparent debate, the representatives of European Fluorocarbon Technical Committee (EFCTC) and the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE) expressed their doubts over some of the Commission's intentions, pointing to the positive energy effiency and safety aspects of the use of these gases.