Brussels, 31/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The members of the European Parliament environment committee trust that the use of climate-unfriendly fluorinated gases will be banned in new air-conditioning appliances and refrigerators by 2022-2025, and that the volume of HFCs present on the market will be kept under a ceiling. They hope they will be gradually reduced by 79% by 2030 within the European Union. This was stated at the meeting in Brussels on Thursday 30 January, when a wide majority endorsed the first reading agreement reached in trialogue (Council/Parliament/Commission) last December under Lithuanian Presidency, on the legislative draft establishing a reviewed regulatory framework, which will guarantee a substantial reduction (with best cost-effectiveness ratio) of these gases which have extremely powerful global warming potential (23,000 times more than CO2). The EU28 ambassadors had done the same on 18 December (see EUROPE 10989).
“With this breakthrough, the EU is setting the pace for a global phase-out of these super greenhouse gases, which are otherwise projected to make up 20% of greenhouse gases by 2030. The new rules to curb climate-damaging F-gases are also a vital addition to the EU's arsenal of measures to tackle climate change. Emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases have risen by 60% since 1990 in the EU”, stressed the rapporteur, Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA Belgium). Over the same period, emissions of other greenhouse gases have been reduced. Eickhout went on to add: “By banning F-gases in certain applications like new commercial refrigeration from 2022, we will furthermore spur innovation in the European industry”.
The approved text limits the quantity of F gases that may be sold in the EU to gradually reduce sales to one fifth of the current volume by 2030. Also, it bans the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in certain equipment (such as refrigeration in households or supermarkets by 2022, small air-conditioning systems by 2025, foam by 2023 and sprays by 2018), for which alternative solutions less harmful for the climate, and that are safe and viable, are already largely available.
The aim of the text is also to remove F gas emissions from existing equipment through controls and recovery of gas at the end of the life cycle of equipment. A revision clause of the regulation will allow the Commission to assess the method for allocating quotas for fixing a price for each tonne CO2 equivalent of HFCs.
NGOs hail beginning of end of HFCs. The environmental investigation agency (EIA) and the European Environment Bureau (EBB) jointly welcomed the vote as a progressive and encouraging victory in the fight against climate change, even if the two organisations regret that negotiations had not been successful earlier. “Naturally, we would have preferred more bans with fewer loopholes as this is the best way to prevent greenhouse gas emissions and it has been proven that it is feasible. This is nonetheless the beginning of the end of HFCs in Europe. Industries know what they must do and will be forced to invest in alternative, greener solutions” (our translation).
The agreement on a draft regulation presented in November 2012 should give fresh impetus to the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement on the gradual phasing out of fluorinated gases under the Montreal Protocol and at international talks aimed at the conclusion, in Paris in 2015, of a worldwide climate agreement that is legally binding and that will take effect in 2020. (AN/transl.jl)