How to reduce lifecycle refrigerant emissions from mobile air-conditioning in the EU
A comprehensive, detailed and thorough technical report [1] analyses and quantifies emissions of refrigerant throughout the mobile air-conditioning (MAC) lifecycle from refrigerant supply through to end-of-life recovery. Regulatory measures to reduce emissions are proposed for entry into force from 2030 and their cumulative emissions reductions estimated. The report concludes that the overall emissions are reduced on an annual basis (2050) by 60% versus the 2021 baseline.
“By gathering data throughout the value chain, an emission baseline is set (2021) and illustrative estimates provided for the upcoming 30-year time horizon of the evolution of the refrigerant emissions in the mobile air conditioning application. These estimates can be used to build several indicative possible refrigerant emission reduction scenarios, and related policy options and determine the average emission reduction potential by 2050 over a 20-year period (2030 to 2050).”
The Technical Working group comprised 8 OEMs (light and heavy-duty vehicles), 6 Tier 1 manufacturers, 1 garage chain, 1 distributor, 2 refrigerant producers and 2 end-of-life actors. The working group was divided into 4 sub-groups, to tackle the lifecycle stages that represented the majority of the estimated emissions: vehicle design, vehicle damage/accidents, vehicle service/repair and vehicle end of life.
The work of the Technical Working group was initiated to support the authorities working on the PFAS restriction proposal (Dossier Submitters, ECHA and Commission), who are exploring additional measures to reduce refrigerant emissions as an alternative risk management option. Currently there is a lack of industry data available to the authorities to quantify the emission reduction potential of the measures already in place and new measures which could be implemented in the context of a REACH restriction of F-gases in the transport sector over the assessment period (2021-2050).
Regulatory measures to reduce emissions are proposed for entry into force from 2030 and their cumulative emissions reductions estimated. The measures include:
- Maximum design leakage rates for new vehicles
- Design robustness for condensers
- Compulsory inspections and ongoing monitoring
- Mandatory repair for leaks
- Minimum recovery requirement for Recovery, Recycle and Recharge machines (applies also to end- of- life recovery);
- Refrigerant traceability
- End-of-life- registration and audit of authorised treatment facilities
The main conclusions are:
- The overall emissions are reduced on an annual basis (2050) by -60% to 6083MT versus the baseline and -61% versus 2026.
- Between 2030-2050, a total amount of 183,413MT of emissions are prevented (-50% reduction)
- Cost/kg emission saved: €57,795 MM / 183,413MT = €315/kg
- Since most of the regulatory measures will lead to an increased component life expectancy of +30% to + 50%, it can be concluded that the net cost to consumers is €0/MT
Reference
[1] Lifecycle Refrigerant Emissions from Automotive Air‑Conditioning Systems in the European Union, Technical Working Group May 2026, Version 2, Thom Hermens & Mark Smith (Chemours) Curt Vincent & MaryJo VandenBrink (Honeywell / Solstice) available to download at eu_technical-working-group-automotive-lifecycle-refrigerant-emissions-april-27-2026-final.pdf.