Firms stockpiled fluorinated gases

10th December 2015


Related Topics

Related tags

  • Mitigation ,
  • Reporting ,
  • Business & Industry ,
  • Politics & Economics

Author

Sarah Pratt

Fluorinated gases that contribute significantly to climate change have been stockpiled in Europe in anticipation of new EU regulations affecting HFC phase-down quotas, according to the European Environment Agency.

According to a report from the agency, bulk imports of fluorinated greenhouse gases (so-called F-gases) increased 90% in 2014 compared to the previous year, due largely to stockpiling in anticipation of new HFC phase-down regulations and quota allocations for placing HFCs on the market from 2015. Bulk exports of HFCs also increased for the fifth consecutive year, with an increase of 22% (tonnes) or 24% (CO2e) compared to 2013.

F-gases are used in fridges, air conditioning units, aerosols and other products as a replacement for ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which were phased out under the Montreal protocol and regulated under EU Regulation 1005/2009.

Emissions from F-gases in the EU have grown by almost 60 % since 1990, and made up approximately 2.5 % of overall greenhouse-gas emissions expressed in global warming potential (GWP) in the 28 member states of the European Union (EU) in 2013, says the report.

New EU legislation introduced in January 2015 aim to reduce F-gas emissions by two thirds of the 2010 level by 2030. Regulation 517/2014 maintains previous measures such as leak prevention, recovery, certification of technicians and restrictions on the use and marketing of fluorinated greenhouse gases, but includes additional reporting obligations for feedstock users, equipment importers and destruction companies. Producers also need to report on any destruction of their own products.

An international in-principle agreement, the Dubai pathway, was reached in November on using the Montreal protocol to reduce the production and use of climate-change-inducing HFCs.

Subscribe

Subscribe to IEMA's newsletters to receive timely articles, expert opinions, event announcements, and much more, directly in your inbox.


Transform articles

Facing the climate emergency challenge in local government

It’s well recognised that the public sector has the opportunity to work towards a national net-zero landscape that goes well beyond improving on its own performance; it can also influence through procurement and can direct through policy.

19th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) strategy is based on optimistic techno-economic assumptions that are now outdated, Carbon Tracker has warned.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK’s new biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements could create 15,000 hectares of woodlands, heath, grasslands, and wetlands and absorb 650,000 tonnes of carbon each year.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s latest Public Attitudes Tracker has found broad support for efforts to tackle climate change, although there are significant concerns that bills will rise.

13th March 2024

Read more

Multinational corporations are undermining their net-zero commitments with excessive air travel and no plans to reduce ‘the low hanging fruit’ of carbon footprints, a study by Transport & Environment has found.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s climate adaptation plans are ‘inadequate’ and falling ‘far short’ of what is required, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has warned today.

13th March 2024

Read more

Large businesses across the world are avoiding climate action due to fear they will be called out for getting their work wrong, according to a new Carbon Trust report.

29th February 2024

Read more

A thought-provoking discussion on how storytelling can change the world took place in Central London last night, alongside an exclusive sneak preview of an upcoming IEMA film series.

29th February 2024

Read more

Media enquires

Looking for an expert to speak at an event or comment on an item in the news?

Find an expert

IEMA Cookie Notice

Clicking the ‘Accept all’ button means you are accepting analytics and third-party cookies. Our website uses necessary cookies which are required in order to make our website work. In addition to these, we use analytics and third-party cookies to optimise site functionality and give you the best possible experience. To control which cookies are set, click ‘Settings’. To learn more about cookies, how we use them on our website and how to change your cookie settings please view our cookie policy.

Manage cookie settings

Our use of cookies

You can learn more detailed information in our cookie policy.

Some cookies are essential, but non-essential cookies help us to improve the experience on our site by providing insights into how the site is being used. To maintain privacy management, this relies on cookie identifiers. Resetting or deleting your browser cookies will reset these preferences.

Essential cookies

These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website.

Analytics cookies

These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to our website and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works.

Advertising cookies

These cookies allow us to tailor advertising to you based on your interests. If you do not accept these cookies, you will still see adverts, but these will be more generic.

Save and close