The European Commission (EC) is looking to adopt new policies to drive down emissions of fluorinated gases, after a review concluded existing legislation wouldn't cut emissions in the long-term.
The EC has launched a 12-week public consultation asking for feedback on a range of potential new measures to tackle the creation of fluorinated gases (f-gases), which are powerful contributors to global warming.
According to an EC review of the 2006 Regulation on f-gases (842/2006), the legislation has had an impact on production of the greenhouse gases, but without new measures emissions would remain at today's levels in the long term due to the use of f-gas in a growing number of appliances, such as air conditioners and refrigeration.
“The EU Regulation has broken a growing trend in emissions and driven technological innovation. However, making the transition to a competitive low-carbon EU economy by 2050 requires ambitious action to cut emissions from all sectors,” said Connie Hedegaard, European commissioner for climate action.
She argued that the review had shown there was considerable scope for cost-effective reductions in f-gases in industrial sectors where alternatives are becoming increasingly feasible.
Measures outlined in the consultation include the introduction of new voluntary agreements, bans on new products and a scheme for phasing-down the placing of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) on the EU market.
The consultation will run until 19 December and Hedegard has confirmed new legislative measures will follow in 2013.
The news came as the EC published how it will allocate free allowances to airlines next year when the aviation sector is incorporated into the EU emissions trading scheme, the bloc’s flagship GHG policy to cut greenhouse-gas emissions from industry.
