Introduction

Fluorinated GHGs (F-gases) are a family of gases containing fluorine. They are very powerful GHGs with a high GWP.

Of the controlled GHG, three are types of F-gases:

• hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)

• perfluorocarbons (PFCs)

• sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

HFCs are F-gases and are the most commonly used refrigerant gases. HFCs are used within home and commercial cooling systems, VRF systems, heat pumps, fridges and freezers, and vehicle air conditioning systems. If accidentally released into the atmosphere through leaky systems or illegally and deliberately vented, HFCs are harmful greenhouse gases. HFCs have a very high GWP: 1kg of the common (HFC) refrigerant gas R-410A has a GWP equivalent to 2,088kgCO2e.

The use of F-gases is currently being curtailed. Legislation to reduce F-gas use has been put in place internationally, including in the EU and the UK following the Kigali Amendment to the UN’s Montreal Protocol. The new rules limit the use of HFCs, and are expected to prevent emissions equivalent to 105 million tonnes of CO2e by 2047." - Net Zero Carbon Guide: Refrigerants and Their Contribution to Global Warming