REPowerEU targets for heat pumps and challenges to health sector considered in F-gas free technology in EU

The Environment Committee of the European Parliament today adopted its position on the revision of the F-Gas Regulation. A broad majority supports the Commission's proposal to reduce F-gas emissions and thus the impact of greenhouse gases on the climate. “This is an important contribution to climate protection. We have even strengthened the Commission proposal in some places.”commented the environmental spokesperson of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP- Christian Democrats), Peter Liese.

However, a particularly sensitive part of the regulation concerns the heat pump sector. Contrary to the Commission proposal, the position adopted today in Committee provides for a complete ban on F-gases for a large proportion of heat pumps from 2026 onwards (for split heat pumps of less than 3kg from 2027). “The phase-out of F-gases, as voted today by the Environment Committee, is very ambitious. It was therefore important for the EPP to make sure that the much needed heat pump run-up, as announced in the framework of REPowerEU, is not endangered. We have therefore added an emergency break, in case REPowerEU targets cannot be met with F-Gas free technologies.”, MEP Kympouropoulos the EPP Shadow Rapporteur commented.


“With  regards to the use of so-called PFAS as alternatives to very harmful F-gases, the EPP supported that PFAS substances should not be used in the long term as substitutes for other F-gases, in cases where this is technologically possible. Even though they have a lower global warming potential than SF6, for example, it is still present.” commented Peter Liese.

Another sector for whom the new targets will be more difficult to comply with is the healthcare sector. The EPP Shadow Rapporteur, Stelios Kympouropoulos highlighted: “F-gases are essential for many applications in our lives, including life-saving healthcare devices. During our negotiations, I tried to work on a holistic approach for the revision to the F-gas Regulation, that focused on technical feasibility, energy efficiency, and took into account patients access to safe and reliable technologies. This is why it is paramount that EPP succeeded in including an extra quota dedicated for Metered Dose Inhalers (MDIs) that will guarantee a safe transition to greener alternatives, without compromising the patients access to life-saving medicines.”

Liese added: “At the same time we should not forget that this is also a huge opportunity to promote the added value of European, climate-friendly applications. There are many companies in the EU that are already producing F-gas free technology, whether it is for switchgears or heat pumps. They do not only show that it is technologically possible without any F-gases, but also that we are pioneers in this respect in Europe”.

Background:

The main reason for the strong increase in F-gases since the late 1990s is the increased use of fluorinated greenhouse gases as refrigerants. Depending on the substance, fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) have a very strong effect on the climate. In fact, is is 100 to 24,000 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. In contrast to conventional greenhouse gases, which are usually released as unwanted by-products (e. g. during the combustion of fossil raw materials), fluorinated greenhouse gases are mainly produced and used specifically.

The European F-Gas Regulation aims to reduce emissions from the industrial sector by 70 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. The scheme aims to reduce emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases in the EU from 70 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent to 35 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 (50%). The aim is in particular to encourage the use of alternatives to F-gases.