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Heat pump makers worried by EU crackdown on climate-warming F-gases
(EurActiv, 3 Mar 2023) The European Parliament’s environment committee voted on Wednesday (1 March) for a quick phasedown of F-gas refrigerants, in a move that drew criticism from the heat pump industry.
Fluorinated gases were introduced in the 1990s to replace the ozone-wrecking “Hydrochlorofluorocarbons” (HCFCs) and are commonly used in cooling appliances like refrigerators and air conditioning systems.
The problem, however, is that F-gases wreak havoc on the climate and amount to an estimated 2.5% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“F-gases are not well-known, but have major implications for our climate, as they are very powerful greenhouse gases,” explained Bas Eickhout, a Dutch lawmaker who steers the EU’s proposed F-gas regulation in the European Parliament.
Eickhout, a Green lawmaker, has been pushing for an ambitious phase-out of F-gases, saying “natural alternatives are readily available” in most instances.
In a vote on Wednesday (1 March), the Parliament’s environment committee backed a quick phase down. As of in 2024, only 23.6% of the amount used in 2015 will be allowed on the market, MEPs decided. From 2027, this will go down to 11%, before steadily approaching zero by 2050 on a sloped trajectory.
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EurActiv, 3 Mar 2023: Heat pump makers worried by EU crackdown on climate-warming F-gases
