According to data published by the European Environment Agency (EEA), EU GHG emissions increased by 0.5% in 2015 compared with 2014. This increase was attributed mainly to road transport and the residential sector.
However, it is interesting to note that despite this overall increase, European greenhouse gas emissions from refrigeration and air conditioning decreased for the first time in 2015, after an exponential increase of HFCs emissions since 20011.
In 2015, the total amount of HFC emissions was 108 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, versus 113 million in 2014. For its part, the sector of refrigeration and air conditioning recorded emissions of 97 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2015, versus 102 million in 2014.
Most notable were the efforts of Spain, where the government now applies hefty taxes on HFC refrigerants. This led to a decrease in HFC emissions of nearly 45% between 2014 and 2015.
Ireland, Finland and Denmark were the next best performers behind Spain, all recording 8% decreases.
For further information, please consult the EEA report.
1 HFC emissions in 2015 were about 18,000 times higher than in 1990, mainly due to the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) under the Montreal Protocol and the replacement of these substances by HFCs.
Source: www.iifiir.org