The EU reports reduced HFC emissions in submission to UNFCCC
The annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2022, in its inventory document 2024 [1], submitted to the UNFCCC, reports that HFC emissions as CO2e have again been reduced in 2022 and have reported significant CO2e reductions in past years.
Extract from Table ES.4 Overview of EU GHG emissions and removals from 1990 to 2022 in million tonnes CO2 equivalent
| million tonnes CO2e | 2015 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| HFCs | 83 | 66 | 63 | 60 |
| Unspecified mix of HFCs and PFCs | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Total (with net CO2 emissions/removals) | 3482 | 3045 | 3216 | 3133 |
| Share of HFC (excl. HFC/PFC mix) | 2.4% | 2.2% | 2.0% | 1.9% |
HFCs as a % share calculated from data in Table ES.4. Notes for Table ES.4: CO2 emissions include indirect CO2. Note that historical data may have changed compared to last year's Inventory Report due to recalculations
HFCs emissions in 2022 have been reduced by 28% compared to 2015 and have also been reduced as a share of total emissions greenhouse gas emissions accounting for 1.9% of total GHG emissions in 2022. Total fluorinated gas emissions (HFCs, PFCs, SF6, NF3) account for 2% of total EU GHG emissions. In 2022, their emissions amounted to 67 Mt CO2 equivalents, which was 36 % above 1990 levels. Refrigeration and air conditioning, the largest key category, accounts for 81% of fluorinated gas emissions in 2022. The main reason for this is the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons under the Montreal Protocol and the replacement of these substances with HFCs (mainly in refrigeration, air conditioning, foam production and as aerosol propellants) [2]. The HFC emissions as CO2e from all refrigeration and air-conditioning is reported to have decreased again in 2022, with year on year reductions since 2016. The subsectors contributing to the reductions are commercial refrigeration and mobile air-conditioning, although emissions for stationary air-conditioning are higher in 2022 compared to 2021, with increasing emissions until 2019 [3].
Reported HFC emissions from fluorochemical production have decreased by 98% since 1990 and in 2022 are 236 kt CO2e (a 40% reduction compared to 2021) [4]. The inventory reports that for fluorochemical production by-product emissions, HFCs account for major shares. Overall, the generation of HFC-23 as a by-product during the manufacture of HCFC-22, HFC-32 and other fluorocarbons is particularly relevant due to its high global warming potential.
References
[1] European Environment Agency. Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2022 and inventory document 2024, EEA/PUBL/2024/046, 13 December 2024, available at https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/annual-european-union-greenhouse-gas-inventory.
[2] Inventory Report 2.2 Emission and removal trends by gas and Table 2.8 F-Gases emissions by large key categories: absolute and relative change 1990 to 2022 in CO2 equivalents (Mt) and their share in 2022 EU Total F-Gases emissions, available at https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/annual-european-union-greenhouse-gas-inventory.
[3] Inventory Report 4.2.6 Product uses as substitutes for ODS (CRT Source Category 2.F) and Figures 4.14 to 4.17 available at https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/annual-european-union-greenhouse-gas-inventory.
[4] Inventory report, 4.2.2 Chemical industry (CRT Source Category 2B) and Table 4.13: 2B9 Fluorochemical production – HFCs: Countries’ contributions to HFC emissions and information on method applied, activity data and emission factor available at https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/annual-european-union-greenhouse-gas-inventory.