9 December 2015: The European Environment Agency (EEA) issued a report, on 9 December 2015, detailing the production, use, import, export and destruction of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) in 2014. The EEA points out that data on all of these gases are important not only for tracking EU progress in meeting its obligations under the UNFCCC, but also for the preparations for negotiations in 2016 for an HFC Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

The new EEA report covers the greenhouse gases (GHG) reportable under the European Union’s (EU) new F-Gas Regulation 517/2014, namely: hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); perfluorocarbons (PFCs); sulphur hexafluoride (SF6); unsaturated hydro(chloro)fluorocarbons, fluorinated ethers and alcohols; nitrogen trifluoride; nitrogen trifluoride; perfluoropolymethylisopropyl ether (PFPMIE); and trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride (SF5CF3). Use of many of the F-gases in the EU has grown 60% since 1990 because of their use as alternatives to ozone-depleting substances (ODS), principally in the refrigeration, air conditioning and heating sector.

Among the report’s main findings are that, while EU production of F-gases declined for the fourth consecutive year (15% in terms of physical tonnes, 11% in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)), bulk imports are up 90% in CO2e terms and F-gases placed on the market is up 61%, mostly due to HFC stockpiling in anticipation of the 2015 start of the EU’s HFC phase-down and quota allocations for placing HFCs on the EU market.

The report also notes that bulk exports of HFCs and SF6 both rose sharply. HFCs continued to rise for the fifth year in a row, up 22% in physical tonnes or 24% in CO2e terms, compared to 2013, bringing bulk HFC exports back to levels not seen since 2007. The report notes that bulk exports of SF6 have reached their highest level since EU reporting on the gas began in 2007, with SF6 accounting for 57% of all F-gas bulk exports when reported as CO2e. [EEA Press Release] [Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases 2014]