Climate-forcing F-gases – new report published
Fluorinated gases (F-gases) are emitted into the atmosphere in relatively small quantities, but their effect on climate change is increasingly significant. These substances are very powerful greenhouse gases, with a warming effect thousands of times greater than CO2 in many cases. The gases were originally phased in to replace the chemicals which were found to be harming the ozone layer. They are used in many different products, including refrigerators, air conditioning units and aerosol cans. Measured in 'CO2-equivalent' tons, showing their effect on the climate, F-gases currently make up approximately 2 % of the EU's overall greenhouse gas emissions. This proportion has increased as F-gas emissions have grown by almost 60 % since 1990.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published a new report showing production, use, import, export and destruction of these substances in 2013.
