MIPIGGS Newsletter Red Herring Special September 2005
www.mipiggs.org

EPEE Launches Red Herring Over End of HFCs in fridges

A report from the Institute for European Environmental Policy for Greenpeace has said it would be cheaper to use hydrocarbons in small (domestic-type) fridges than to try and contain HFCs [1]. In reaction, Friedrich Busch from the refrigeration industry group Epee (European Partnership for Energy and Environment) said the economic estimate ignored the recovery cost for hydrocarbons at the product 's end of life, and that the estimate of emissions saved by hydrocarbon use was "considerably overstated".

MIPIGGs would like to point out that this is a red herring. There is no legal requirement* to recover hydrocarbons, unlike HFCs, so the cost does not arise. In the atmosphere HCs are not a noticeable cause of global warming**, or a cause of ozone depletion, unlike HFCs and HCFCs or CFCs.

The IEEP/Greenpeace review follows the proposal by MEP Avril Doyle, to include a ban on HFCs in small fridges in the f-gas regulation, whose current draft is about to have its second reading in the European Parliament.

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*MIPIGGs Calls On MEPs To Strengthen Draft Regulation*

In a letter sent to MEPs about to debate the f-gas Regulation, MIPIGGs (Multisectoral Initiative on Potent Industrial Greenhouse Gasses www.mipiggs.org) says the current draft needs to be 'strengthened'.

"Simply applying the Regulation as drafted would only stabilise emissions of HFCs at 1995 levels" says MIPIGGs "Substitutes exist for all f-gas uses. The Regulation needs to require substitution and introduce bans on f-gas applications".

In its submission to Environment Committee MEPs MIPIGGs notes that scientific research increasingly shows the reality of climate change caused through global warming is worse, not better, than was generally predicted. Hurricane strengths have increased in line with warming water in the Caribbean. It has also been discovered that all the UK's reductions in 'carbon' (and equivalent greenhouse gas) emissions achieved through policy, have been more than wiped out by loss of carbon from warmer soils. The same phenomenon will exist in other EU States, says MIPIGGs.

"This reality means we must do as much as is technically achievable to reduce emissions of all greenhouse gases, yet the draft Regulation does not do this" MIPIGGS told the MEPs.

MIPIGGs welcomed the changes made by Avril Doyle but warned "the Regulation will not be environmentally effective unless it goes further. The Regulation should be setting earlier phase out dates and requiring the use of alternatives such as hydrocarbons, CO2, ammonia and other technologies that do not entail use of f-gases."

The draft Regulation rests primarily on the notion of 'containment'. "This failed with CFCs and it has been clearly demonstrated that it is failing with HFCs. Detailed examination of the assumptions adopted by the Commission in drafting the Regulation showed that the Dutch STEK system may be allowing emissions of at least 6.9-12.7% rather than the often quoted 4.8%" notes MIPIGGs. "If the Netherlands cannot effectively contain f-gases with such a system" says MIPIGGs "then it is unlikely that any EU Member State can. This means, says MIPIGGS "the Regulation should be strengthened by introducing measures requiring substitution of alternative technologies with no risk of f-gases escaping. So far, it fails to require substitution for major uses such as commercial refrigeration".

MIPIGGs also points out that scientific study shows HFCs are building up very rapidly in the atmosphere (20% a year over the Arctic), reflecting pollution from many uses, most notably car air-conditioning, and commercial refrigeration. "Yet", says MIPIGGs, "there is enormous un-tapped scope to avoid this. Unlike emissions of greenhouse gases from soils for example, it is easy to use technical measures to prevent these greenhouse gas emissions. Only commercial lobbying by the f-gas industry prevents this". The German EPA recently reported (see previous newsletter) that a cut of 30% in German f-gas emissions is possible by 2020 if available substitute technologies are used (for example hydrocarbons, ammonia and water based systems in large-scale air conditioning and refrigeration).

[1] NGO BACKS CALL FOR HFC PHASE-OUT IN FRIDGES - ENDS Environment Daily - Tuesday 13 September 2005, Issue 1939

*Currently the only law covering recovery covers domestic equipment. Unfortunately there is no requirement to recover HFCs at waste recycling centres from anything other than domestic fridges.

**ARAP has said "Propane has a negligibly low GWP" [ARAP http://www.arap.org/adlittle-1999/6.html].
MIPIGGs does not support venting HCs which can contribute to warming through aiding tropospheric ozone formation because they are VOCs, Volatile Organic Compounds. However even if the whole refrigeration market converted to HCs and they all leaked out, they'd represent under 0.1% of manmade VOC emissions in the UK, the vast bulk coming from things like paints and fuel combustion. Propane for example has a direct gwp of less than 3 compared with HFC134a's 13000 (100yrs) and atmospheric lifetime of months as opposed to 15 years.).

For further information contact: secretary@mipiggs.org