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Indicator Assessment
Since 1990, EU-27 F-gas emissions have experienced significant growth, more than offsetting an intermittent decrease between 1997 and 2001. While PFCs and SF6 emissions have been reduced to a significant degree, a major rise is observed for HFCs emissions which have tripled since 1990.
In addition to domestic EU production and sales of F-gases, significant amounts of F-gases are also imported and exported. Imports generally increased over the period 2007–2011, while EU production has stabilised at levels that are around 20 % lower than those reported in 2007. When expressed in metric tonnes, data for the reporting year 2011 show a decrease in production (-5 %), import (-6 %) and intra-EU sales (-12 %) of F-gases compared to the previous year.
Context: Fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) covered by the UNFCCC’s Kyoto Protocol comprise hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). These F-gases typically have very long lifetimes in the atmosphere and high global warming potentials (GWPs). The gases are mostly produced for use in products and equipment in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector, foams, fire protection etc. Emissions take place mainly due to leakage during the use phase or due to failure to fully recover the F-gases at the end of the product/equipment lifetime. Future F-gas emissions are thus largely determined by (i) present day consumption of F-gases and (ii) measures to prevent leakage and encourage recovery..
Greenhouse gases covered by the UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol include amongst others, three groups of fluorinated greenhouse gases (the so-called 'F-gases'):
These F-gases typically have very long lifetimes in the atmosphere and high global warming potentials (GWPs). Many F-gases are used as replacements for ozone-depleting substances (ODS) across various applications. As ozone-depleting substances are largely being phased out in the EU in compliance with the Montreal Protocol and the EU Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009, the future use of F-gases has a considerable potential for growth.
F-gases are mostly produced for use in products and equipment in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector, foams, fire protection etc. Emissions take place mainly due to leakage and upon failure to fully recover the F-gases at the end of the product/equipment lifetime. Future F-gas emissions are thus largely determined by (i) the present day consumption of F-gases and (ii) technical measures to prevent leakage and encourage recovery.
The emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) in the EU-27 Member States rose steeply in the 1990s, before declining between 1997 and 2001. Since 2001, emissions have continued to rise steadily (Figure 1). The 2009 reduction in F-gas emissions was very likely caused by the economic crisis in that year. In contrast to the general rising trend for EU-27 F-gas emissions as a whole, emissions of PFCs and SF6 have been considerably reduced, by 17% and 60% respectively since 1990. The overall growth in total F-gas emissions is therefore due to an increase in emissions of HFCs, whose main use is as refrigerants. HFC emissions have more than tripled since 1990 and more than doubled since 1995. The HFC share of total F-gas emissions has risen from 47 % in 1990 to 59 % in 1995, and to 90 % in 2010.
Several legislative instruments in the European Union target F-gases – for details see the indicator specification. Since 2007, data on the EU production, bulk imports, bulk exports and destruction of F-gases have been centrally collected. Imports and exports of F-gases contained in products (e.g. foams) or equipment (e.g. vehicles, air-conditioning equipment, medical dose inhalers, electrical equipment) are not included in the statistics. An overview of information is provided by EEA in its annual fluorinated greenhouse gases report.
In total, 120 companies reported production, sales, import or export of F-gases for 2011, an increase of 12 % on the previous year. In absolute tonnes of gas, there was a decrease reported in production (-5 %), imports (-6 %) and intra-EU sales (-12 %) of F-gases between 2010 and 2011. Exports increased by 5 %. When these values are expressed in terms of global warming potential (GWP)-weighted emissions, different patterns emerge due to the large differences in GWP values of certain F-gases. An increase is still evident in exported F-gases (+12 %), but now also for production (+1 %). There were decreases in both imports (-8 %) and sales (-11 %).
Significant amounts of F-gases are imported and exported; the sum of imports into the EU and exports from the EU usually exceed domestic production. According to a 2011 study for the European Commission (Schwarz et al. 2011), imported quantities of F-gases contained in pre-charged equipment represented almost 13 % (measured in physical tonnes) of the import of bulk F-gases in 2008. Export of F-gases contained in pre-charged equipment was estimated to represent ca. 42 % of the exported bulk quantities. Converted to GWP-tonnage the respective shares are 11 % (imports) and 34 % (exports).
The majority of F-gases are used as refrigerants in refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, both mobile and stationary. Here, mostly HFCs are used. The second largest application sector is electrical equipment (SF6). Due to the extremely high GWP of SF6, the application’s share is rather small if measured in physical tonnes as compared to GWP-weighted tonnage. Other relevant application sectors are aerosols, fire protection and foams, all of which mostly use HFCs.
The indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of the following fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases), differentiated by HFCs, PFCs and SF6.
HFCs |
PFCs |
SF6 |
HFC-23 |
CF4 |
|
HFC-32 |
C2F6 |
|
HFC-41 |
C3F8 |
|
HFC-43-10mee |
C4F10 |
|
HFC-125 |
c-C4F8 |
|
HFC-134 |
C5F12 |
|
HFC-134a |
C6F14 |
|
HFC-152a |
|
|
HFC-143 |
|
|
HFC-143a |
|
|
HFC-227ea |
|
|
HFC-236fa |
|
|
HFC-245ca |
|
|
The indicator also tracks trends since 2007 in the aggregated production, bulk imports, bulk exports and consumption of F-gases, differentiated, where available by HFCs, PFCs and SF6; additional F-gases compared to the emissions list are marked in bold.
HFCs |
PFCs |
SF6 |
HFC-23 |
CF4 |
|
HFC-32 |
C2F6 |
|
HFC-41 |
C3F8 |
|
HFC-43-10mee |
C4F10 |
|
HFC-125 |
c-C4F8 |
|
HFC-134 |
C5F12 |
|
HFC-134a |
C6F14 |
|
HFC-152a |
|
|
HFC-143 |
|
|
HFC-143a |
|
|
HFC-227ea |
|
|
HFC-236cb |
|
|
HFC-236ea |
|
|
HFC-236fa |
|
|
HFC-245ca |
|
|
HFC-245fa |
|
|
HFC-365mfc |
|
|
‘Net supply’ is a parameter derived from company reporting under the F-Gas Regulation that provides information on the actual use of (bulk) F-gases by EU industries. Net supply is calculated by firstly adding reported amounts for:
and then subtracting the following reported amounts:
Furthermore, the shares of intended applications of F-gas net supply in the latest available reporting year are given, differentiating between
Emissions: Mt CO2-eq (GWP SAR): Million tonnes of CO2 equivalents calculated with the global warming potentials (GWPs) as given in the IPCC 2nd Assessment Report.
Production, imports, exports & consumption: Mt CO2-eq (GWP AR4): Million tonnes of CO2 equivalents calculated with the global warming potentials (GWPs) as given in the IPCC 4th Assessment Report.
Intended applications: Percentages based on physical tonnage and GWP AR4 weighted tonnage, respectively.
Fluorinated gases contribute to global warming and F-gases, which are not covered by the Montreal Protocol, are included under the UNFCCC. Emission reporting according to the 1996 IPCC guidelines and the 2000 IPCC 'Good Practice Guidance and Uncertainty Management in National Greenhouse Gas Inventories' uses the GWPs of the 2nd IPCC Assessment report (SAR):
HFCs |
PFCs |
SF6 |
HFC-23 |
CF4 |
|
HFC-32 |
C2F6 |
|
HFC-41 |
C3F8 |
|
HFC-43-10mee |
C4F10 |
|
HFC-125 |
c-C4F8 |
|
HFC-134 |
C5F12 |
|
HFC-134a |
C6F14 |
|
HFC-152a |
|
|
HFC-143 |
|
|
HFC-143a |
|
|
HFC-227ea |
|
|
HFC-236fa |
|
|
HFC-245ca |
|
|
The 'old' EU F-Gas Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 842/2006 extends this list of covered F-gases by HFC-236cb, HFC-236ea, HFC-245fa and HFC-365mfc. As of 2015, coverage of gases will be extended both for UNFCCC inventory reporting and for the scope of the 'new' EU F-Gas Regulation 517/2014 repealing Regulation 642/2006. This will be taken up in the autumn 2015 update of this indicator.
On European level two key legislative instruments focus on fluorinated gases:
The 'old' F-Gas Regulation follows two tracks of action:
The 'old' EU F-Gas Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 842/2006 extends the list of covered F-gases (in comparison to the IPCC reporting requirement) by HFC-236cb, HFC-236ea, HFC-245fa and HFC-365mfc.
The 'new' F-Gas Regulation 517/2014 maintains many measures of the 'old' F-Gas Regulation 842/2006, in particular related to leak prevention, recovery, certification of technicians and selected restrictions on the use and marketing of F-gases. Large reductions in F-gas use and emissions are expected from a new measure, which will progressively cap allowed sales of HFCs on the EU market ('phase-down').Reductions are also expected from bans of F-gases with a high Global Warming Potential (GWP).
The MAC Directive requires gradual phase-out of F-gases with GWP >150 in new systems in the period 2011-2017 in EU.
In the framework of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol, no separate target for fluorinated greenhouse gases has been specified.
In the EU context, the overall objective of the 'old' F-Gas Regulation was, together with the MAC Directive, to help fulfill the commitments of the European Union and its Member States under the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, for the period 2008 to 2012. The legislation was expected to break the growing trend in the EU and maintain F-gas emissions in EU-15 at 75 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2010[1]. In fact, the 2010 EU-15 F-gas emissions accounted for 78 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents (according to the 2014 reporting). The 'new' F-Gas Regulation 517/2014 aims to reduce emissions by two-thirds of the 2010 level by 2030.
[1] COM(2003) 492 final of 11.8.2003. This Commission proposal was the basis of both the Regulation and the MAC Directive.
The indicator presents GWP-weighted emissions of F-gases as officially reported by the EU-28 Member States.
Furthermore, the indicator presents aggregated production, imports, exports and net supply in units of million tonnes of CO2-equivalents, which is the physical amount of F-gases produced, imported, exported or consumed, multiplied by their respective global warming potential. Data are based on company reporting under Article 6 of the 'old' F-gas Regulation 642/2006.
‘Net supply’ is a parameter derived from company reporting under the 'old' F-Gas Regulation 642/2006 that provides information on the actual use of (bulk) F-gases by EU industries. Net supply is calculated by firstly adding reported amounts for:
and then subtracting the following reported amounts:
The 'old' EU F-Gas Regulation 842/2006 extends the list of covered F-gases (in comparison to the IPCC reporting requirement) by HFC-236cb, HFC-236ea, HFC-245fa and HFC-365mfc.
The reporting requirements under the 'new' F-Gas Regulation 517/2014 cover a largely extended list of gases. However, this does not come into effect before companies report on their 2014 activities, due 31st March 2015. Furthermore, reporting requirements under the IPCC do also change in 2015. In consequence, the new data situation as of 2015 will be reflected in the 2015 update of this indicator.
All information provided to the Commission and the EEA on transactions of F-gases in the EU is treated as strictly confidential. The Commission and the EEA have established procedures to ensure that all of the data relating to individual companies will be kept strictly confidential. No company-specific information is disclosed to the public; all company data are aggregated before publication. These procedures limit the release of data that might significantly rely on reports from less than three company groups. To this end, company groups that contribute to less than 5 % do not count toward the '3-company-rule'. Concerns regarding confidentiality can be addressed to the European Commission or to the entity designated by the European Commission.
No gap filling takes place.
No methodology references available.
No uncertainty has been specified
As a part of the calculation process for 'net supply', quantities reported for on-site destruction by the reporting company and quantities reported for destruction off-site on behalf of the reporting company are taken into account (with a negative arithmetic sign) as well as 'other amounts collected for reclamation or destruction from within the EU' (with a positive arithmetic sign). Summing up both destruction-related quantities might possibly result in both double counting and omissions: Double-counting is not impossible, as reporting companies might report as 'own destruction' the same quantity which was reported as 'destroyed off-site' by another company. Omissions are very probable as specialised destruction facilities (which do not report themselves) might have destroyed more used F-gases than those quantities received by reporting companies. Furthermore, an aggregate analysis of 'other amounts collected for reclamation or destruction from within the EU' performed in the 2013 EEA report on F-gases (EEA Technical report No 15/2013) reporting reveals that these amounts do not match the amounts reported for actual destruction, reclamation or exports to theses purposes. However, the absolute relevance of the reported destruction quantities was limited to approximately 1 % of total net supply in past years.
No uncertainty has been specified
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/emissions-and-consumption-of-fluorinated/assessment or scan the QR code.
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