F-gases – some of the most used gases you’ve never heard of – threaten our planet and our health. Commonly used in refrigeration, air conditioning, insulation, electronics manufacturing, and switchgear, F-gases have significant global warming potential. Some also break down into forever chemicals (PFAS), posing risks when they leak into the environment. The good news: F-gases will be phased out in the EU by 2050! How will they be phased out? Find out in our new factsheet.
F-gases, not commonly known but commonly used in household appliances like fridges, air conditioners, and heat pumps, will be phased down in the EU – with some types of F-gases banned completely. F-gases are responsible for 2.5% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions – but not for much longer. Today, the European Commission, Parliament, and Council reached a bold agreement on the revised F-Gas Regulation, strengthening the EU’s role as a climate leader.
Media briefing: The EU has long been a global frontrunner in the phase-out of fluorinated refrigerants (F-gases), which are responsible for 2.5% of EU greenhouse gas emissions and the bloc’s primary source of forever chemicals (PFAS). In this week’s final trilogue on the revised F-Gas Regulation, we urge negotiators not to waste this opportunity and ensure that F-gases are phased out in as many sectors and applications as possible.
Media Briefing: How the European Union can protect the environment and our health in its revised F-Gas Regulation.
In April 2022, the European Commission presented its proposal for a revised Regulation on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (F-gas Regulation). The proposal has since been processed by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. The ENVI committee has put forward its cross-party compromise amendments, and on 30 March the European Parliament will adopt its position in plenary.
The European Commission has put forward a much needed proposal that tightens the action on fluorinated refrigerants. But simply replacing fluorochemicals with other fluorochemicals will direct Europe into another age of unsustainable refrigeration technology.
ECOS and 8 other NGOs set out their joint position on the European Commission's proposed revision of the F-Gas Regulation.
Last month, the European Commission released a proposal for a reviewed EU Regulation on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (the F-Gas Regulation), which currently represent 2.5% of the EU's climate impact. Will the proposal succeed in cutting these emissions and deliver European and global climate goals? ECOS programme manager Carolina Koronen dives into the details that will tell whether the Regulation is fit for purpose.
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