The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a political agreement on Thursday on the phase-out by 2050 of fluorinated gases used in refrigerators, air conditioners, heat pumps and fire protection equipment.
In addition to the pact on the regulation of fluorinated gases, negotiators from the European institutions have reached agreement on other regulations regarding substances harmful to the ozone layer.
“Agree! The EU Council and the European Parliament reach agreement on 2 regulations: fluorinated gases and substances that destroy the ozone layer,” the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council announced on Thursday on its official social media account X (formerly Twitter).
#TRILOGUE | Agreement! @EURCouncil And @Europarl_EN reach an agreement on 2 arrangements:
➡️ fluorinated gases
➡️ ozone depleting substancesThe new rules further reduce their emissions into the atmosphere and help limit global temperature rise.
https://t.co/MWPEQLzvtp pic.twitter.com/FHS58FWzma
– Spanish Presidency of the EU Council (@eu2023es) October 5, 2023
These standards, once officially endorsed by both institutions, will “further reduce emissions into the atmosphere and contribute to limiting the rise in global temperatures”, the Spanish presidency said.
Specific, Negotiators agreed to strengthen the ban on the sale of products containing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) or fluorinated gases on the European market, accelerate the adoption of more climate-friendly solutions and provide guarantees to manufacturers and investors.
The agreement sets a target of zero hydrofluorocarbons by 2050, with a gradual reduction in consumption between 2024 and 2049, underlines a statement from the European Parliament, which considered itself “the father” of this demand.
“We have reached an ambitious agreement that will put an end to fluorinated greenhouse gases. This is essential, not only because these gases are extremely harmful to the climate, but also because we provide clarity to companies and therefore certainty for investments.” said European Parliament negotiator, German environmental member Bas Eickhout.
The agreement sets specific dates for the phasing out of the use of fluorinated gases in sectors where it is technically and economically feasible to switch to alternatives that do not use fluorinated gases, such as domestic refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps.
The agreement also sets strict conditions and deadlines for the use of fluorinated gases with a high global warming potential for service or maintenance of various types of equipment.
According to Eickhout European companies are already leading the development of clean alternatives to fluorinated gases and therefore the future law will be “beneficial for the climate and the European economy”.
Fluorinated greenhouse gases, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulfur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride, are used in common household appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners, heat pumps, fire protection equipment and fires, foams and aerosols.
These gases, together with CO2, methane and nitrous oxide, are regulated by the Paris Agreement and represent around 2.5% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Zero believes the EU has “made history” with an agreement on fluorinated gases
The environmental association Zero opined on Thursday that the agreement reached on fluorinated gases used in many applications related to refrigeration, especially in air conditioning equipment, marks “one of the biggest climate victories of this European Union mandate”.
In a statement, ZERO welcomes today’s agreement on fluorinated gases and emphasizes that the proposed timetable for the phase-out of these powerful greenhouse gases “marks a paradigm shift, with key sectors such as heat pumps and air conditioning adopting climate-friendly soft drinks”.
“The EU has made history with the revision of the regulation on fluorinated gases. The interinstitutional agreement reached today between the Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission paves the way for Europe to become the first continent free of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 2050, setting an unprecedented environmental and climate standard on a global scale “, the association said.
The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament today reached a political agreement on the phase-out by 2050 of fluorinated gases used in refrigerators, air conditioners, heat pumps and fire protection equipment.
In addition to the pact on the regulation of fluorinated gases, negotiators from the European institutions have reached agreement on other regulations regarding substances harmful to the ozone layer.
These standards, once officially endorsed by both institutions, will “further reduce emissions into the atmosphere and contribute to limiting the rise in global temperatures”, the Spanish presidency said.
In the statement, Zero said that “nearly 2.5% of the EU’s global emissions, equivalent to the entire EU aviation sector, will be saved by 2050 thanks to the complete phase-out of fluorinated gases.
For ZERO president Francisco Ferreira, the agreement is “a triple victory.”
“Firstly, it is a win for the climate, thanks to the significant contribution of fluorinated gases to EU greenhouse gas emissions. It’s also a win for our health and the environment, as fluorinated gases are a “major source of hazardous emissions.” of perfluoroalkylated substances in Europe. Finally, this is a victory for Europe’s green industry, which is home to the production of climate-friendly alternatives to fluorinated gases: natural refrigerants,” he said.
Source: DN
