MEPs demand tougher F-gas restriction

MEPs on the European Parliament’s environment committee voted today (19 June) to ban air conditioners containing fluorinated gases by 2020, going further than the phase-down proposal put forward by the European Commission last year.  

The gases – used in fridges, air conditioning systems and foams – have a potent global warming effect far greater than CO2. Under the Commission proposal most F-gases would be phased down over the coming seven years to 21% of the current level. The EU has agreed to phase down F-gases as part of the international Montreal Protocol.  

Amendments adopted by the committee would ban products using the most harmful gas, HFCs, by 2020. The MEPs also want a stronger phase-down of other F-gases, amounting to a reduction of F-gas use to 16% of the current level by 2030. The Commission’s proposal would phase down F-gas to 21% of current levels. 

The amendments would also ban the export of appliances containing the F-gases and impose fees on anyone wishing to use F-gases before the bans take effect.  

The refrigeration and air conditioning industry, which generally accepted the phase-down approach of the Commission, criticised the environment committee amendments as unworkable. Last month the Parliament’s transport committee recommended sticking with the Commission’s approach.  

“Industry supported an ambitious climate change law to radically reduce f-gas emissions by 65% by 2030,” said Andrea Voigt of industry group EPEE. “We are very disappointed that the Environment Committee has chosen the course of command and control politics with the highest price tag that Europeans will have to pay for.”  

Environmental campaigners cheered the committee’s vote. “The bans, coupled with a strong phase-down schedule, will assure the producers of alternative technologies that investing in increased production will pay off,” said Susanna Williams, of campaign group EEB. “This will bring down the upfront costs of such equipment and products and make them an economically sound choice while reducing the climate impact of the sectors.”  

MEPs gave Dutch Green MEP Bas Eickhout a mandate to begin negotiations with member states right away. The Council plans to agree a position before the summer break, but it is more likely to back to Commission’s phase-down approach.  

Eickhout said today it is important for the EU to agree the legislation before the UN climate summit in Warsaw in December. The US and China are currently in talks to phase down HFCs as required by the Montreal Protocol. The EU could convince them to follow its example if the legislation is finalised by the Warsaw meeting, he said.