F-Gas Regulation: Continued decrease in average Global Warming Potential of F-gas refrigerants
The EU introduced a HFC cap and the adoption of lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) F-gases in 2015. Since then, the average GWP, calculated from reported CO2e tonnes and metric tonnes, of all HFCs, HFOs and HCFOs, has decreased by 45%. In fact, in 2021, the average GWP was 1142 in the EU-27 countries, compared to 2062 in 2014 for the EU-27 and UK countries.
Data available in the 2022 EEA report shows that the trends have some uncertainty as 2021 data is EU27, while2020 and earlier data is from the EU27+UK. The EEA report comments that “we do not attempt to estimate supply trends corrected for the change of geographic scope.” The report also notes that “The volume of EU-27 total F-gases supply (i.e. both HFCs and other F-gases) in physical tonnes in 2021 was about 7% lower than joint EU-27+ UK supply in the previous year, with an about 11% lower GWP in 2021 than in 2020.” Even allowing for this uncertainty, there are considerable changes in HFCs and HFOs/HCFOs use patterns since 2014, demonstrating the progress of industry to deliver the F-gas regulation requirements while continuing to ensure availability of refrigerants with a good balance of safety and technical properties.
