Implementing F-Gas obligations

HFC refrigerants have a significant impact on the greenhouse effect. It is based on the following elements:

• global warming potential (GWP): HFCs have a much higher GWP than CO ₂ ; for example, HFC-134a, commonly used in refrigerants, has a GWP 1,430 times that of CO ₂ ; this means that one tonne of HFC-134a in the atmosphere is equivalent to 1,430 tonnes of CO ₂ in terms of global warming ;

• global emissions: according to estimates, the gradual reduction of HFCs could prevent a global temperature rise of up to 0.5°C by the end of the century.

The global HFC reduction target under the Kigali Agreement and European F-Gas regulations could deliver a reduction of over 70 billion tonnes of CO ₂ equivalent by 2050. This would correspond to a significant contribution to global efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C.

These figures show just how crucial the phasing out of HFCs is to mitigating the impact of greenhouse gases on the global climate.