Dear subscriber,
Welcome to the December 2025 edition of the EFCTC Newsletter! In this newsletter, we report the significant progress for the introduction of lower GWP propellants in pressurised Metered Dose Inhalers (pMDIs). At least nine companies globally are reported to be developing pMDIs containing lower GWP propellants. Three companies embarked on full scale Phase 3 clinical trials and positive outcomes resulting from these trials for HFO-1234ze(E) and HFC-152a have been published. Regulatory submission, approval and launch of reformulated pMDIs are the next steps, with one reformulated pMDI having already received approval. We report that low GWP A2L refrigerant options with lower energy consumption designs are now available for reefers and refrigerated road transport (semi-trailers). Most refrigerated transport currently uses non-flammable refrigerants. Safety standards provide frameworks for the use of flammable refrigerants with regard to design and operation. We explain that data available in the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases 2025 report shows that the adoption of lower GWP F-gases, particularly for refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pumps, due to the HFC phase down, has resulted in HFC-32, HFOs and HCFOs now contributing 60% to the total metric tonnes supply of HFCs/HFOs/HCFOs in the EU in 2024. The total supply of HFCs has reduced to 51% of all reportable F-gases as CO2e, compared to 84% in 2015. We report on the EU approximated GHG inventory, which is an early estimate of the GHG emissions for 2024. HFCs are estimated to account for 1.9% of EU27 greenhouse gas emissions in 2024. From 2023 to 2024, HFC estimated emissions reduced by about 4.7%. The Alliance Froid Climatisation Environnement (AFCE) has published the 2023 annual refrigerant report for metropolitan France Refrigerant emissions, as CO2e, have been declining with an average decrease of 12% per year over the period 2018-2023. The initial estimate for 2024 is a further decrease. Finally, we report on the publication of an updated inventory, which estimates global TFA emissions from all significant sources for the period up to 2020. It estimates emissions of anthropogenic TFA discharged to the Atlantic Ocean and compares these to the estimated quantities of TFA measured in the Atlantic Ocean in 2022-2023. According to the paper, anthropogenic TFA is widely dispersed in the Atlantic Ocean, but the narrow body of water where relevant depth-profiles for TFA concentrations have been reported, contains about 1 million tonnes of TFA. This is greater than the estimated anthropogenic TFA in the whole of the Atlantic Ocean. The paper concludes that the Atlantic Ocean must contain a large natural burden of TFA. However, the mechanism of formation for naturally occurring TFA is yet to be determined. Do you want to learn more about EFCTC and fluorocarbons? More information is on the fluorocarbons.org website. Thank you for your continued interest in EFCTC. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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