Most HFCs today belong to short-lived climate pollutants current efforts to reduce them can eliminate as much as 0.
iminate as much as 0.6 degrees
(SLCPs), along with methane, black carbon aerosols, and ozone.
These pollutants have short lifetime in the atmosphere, such that
HFC Applications
HFC Applications
HFC-134a Propellant: pharmaceutical
and technical aerosols
Refrigerant for mobile air-
conditioning applications
(cars)
HFC-32 Refrigerant for air-
conditioning, commercial
refrigeration, heat pumps
HFC-125 Blend component for
stationary air-conditioning,
commercial refrigeration, heat
pumps
HFC-143a Blend component for
commercial refrigeration
HFC-152a Propellant for specialized
industrial aerosols
Blowing agent component for
extruded polystyrene foams
(XPS)
HFC-227ea Propellant for pharmaceutical
aerosols
Firefighting Agent
Refrigerant for high-
temperature environments
HFC-245fa Foam Blowing agent for
Polyurethane (PUR) foams
Working fluid for organic
rankine cycles (ORC)
HFC-236a Firefighting Agent
Refrigerant for high
temperature environments
HFC-365mfc Foam Blowing agent for
Polyurethane (PUR) and
phenolic foams
Blend component for Solvents
Working fluid for organic
rankine cycle (ORC)
HFC-43-10mee Solvent for specialized
applications
HFC-23 Very low temperature
specialist refrigerant
HFO-1234yf Refrigerant for mobile air-
conditioning, stationary air
conditioning and refrigeration
Blend component for HFC-
HFO blends
HFO-1234ze(E) Refrigerant for chillers
Aerosol propellant
Blowing agent for insulation
foams
HCFO-1233zd(E) Refrigerant for chiller, high
HCFO-1224yd(Z) temperature heat pumps
Working fluid for organic
rankine cycle (ORC)
Blowing agent for foams
HCFC-22 Feedstock for production of
PTFE and other fluorocarbons
polymers
HCFC-142b Feedstock for the production
of vinylidene difluoride for
fluoropolymers
*Based on IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, 2014 (AR5)
Celsius of global warming. HFC mitigation alone accounts to 0.1
degrees Celsius less warming.3 There are HFCs with relatively
longer lifetime in the atmosphere4, and higher global warming
potential (GWP) compared to carbon dioxide (CO2), as shown in
the list at the left.
Lifetime 100-yr GWP*
13.4 yrs 1300 The Phase Out: Montreal Protocol & F-Gas Regulation
Nearly 200 nations, all signatories to the original Montreal
Protocol, agreed that HFCs contribution to climate change might
be small, but their rapid increase every year can not be ignored. In
5.2 yrs 677
fact, HFC emissions by 2050 could be more than enough to offset
what the Montreal Protocol has achieved in curbing climate change
28.2 yrs 3170 impacts, if no intervention is placed (see Figure 2).5
Much like its success in putting the ozone layer to continuous
recovery, the Montreal Protocol pushes the phasing out of HFCs.
47.1 yrs 4800 Developed countries have already started with this initiative in
2019, while developing countries are expected to follow suit by
1.5 yrs 138
2024 until 2028.
EU, on the other hand, implemented the F-gas regulation on
January 1, 2015, which put into place a quota system for producers
38.9 yrs 3350 and importers of refrigerants and cooling agents with high GWP.
The first phase-down was made in 2016, reducing the substances
involved by 7% from the baseline. The phase-down targets a fifth
of the 2014 sales by 2030.
7.7 yrs 858
Life Cycle Management of Fluorocarbons
Promoting life cycle management of fluorocarbons addresses the
urgent need to decrease the risks of climate change and its impacts,
242 yrs 8060 given the increasing demand for said compounds especially in the
cooling sector. This will entail collaboration and cooperation
8.7 yrs 804
between the private sector and governments, with the help of
experts in technology and international institutions. Science-based
policies, advanced technologies, and appropriate infrastructure are
crucial to improvement of recovery and resource efficiency,
kickstarting of innovations, and enhancement of sustainable
16.1 yrs 1650 economic growth.
While phase-down initiatives are currently being
222 yrs 12400 implemented, the development and introduction of alternatives
with low GWP and/or refrigerant technology that do not use
10.5 days <1 fluorocarbons is extremely important to completely transition into
“zero fluorocarbon future.”
16.4 days <1
26 days 1
21 days < 1 (4)
3 Y. Xu et al. 2013. “The role of HFCs in mitigating 21st century climate change.”
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 6083–6089.
11.9 yrs 1760 https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/13/6083/2013/acp-13-6083-2013.pdf.
4 EFCTC. 2020. Fundamental properties of HFCS, HFOS & HCFOs, also includes
HCFCs used as feedstocks. https://www.fluorocarbons.org/wp-
17.2 yrs 1980 content/uploads/2020/10/2020_10_13_Fluorocarbon-Molecules-environmental-
properties-and-main-applications.pdf
5 UNEP. 2011. HFCs: A Critical Link in Protecting Climate and the Ozone Layer.
http://www.unep.org/dewa/Portals/67/pdf/HFC_report.pdf