Preface

The Greenhouse gases: HFCs, PFCs and SF6

On behalf of the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Danish EPA), the consulting firm PlanMiljø ApS carried out the emission calculation of Danish emission of F-gases, 2007. The emission calculation is carried out in continuation of previous year emission calculations /13/ and references in these.

The F-gas emission calculation and reporting is assessed by Danish EPA and National Environmental Research Institute, Denmark (NERI) and the consultant. Further the draft report is send to central stakeholders for comments and general information.

The assessment group consisted of:

Frank Jensen, Danish EPA
Erik Lyck, Danish National Environmental Research Institute (NERI), University of Aarhus
Tomas Sander Poulsen, PlanMiljø ApS

Other central stakeholders, who are invited to comment the report:

Lau Vørs, AKB Denmark (Authorized Refrigeration Installers Association)
Torkil Høft, KMO
Sven-Erik Jepsen, Confederation of Danish Industries (DI)

The objective of this project was to determine the Danish consumption and actual emissions of HFCs, PFCs, and SF₆for 2007. Further, if methodology changes are made in connection to the work on 2007 data, the data for previous years are considered and updated accordingly.

The emission calculation is partly prepared to enable Denmark to fulfil its international obligations to provide data and information on F-gas emissions, and partly to follow the Danish trend in consumption and emissions of HFCs, PFCs, and SF₆. Examples of reporting of Danish emissions is given in reference /18, 19, 21, 23, 24/, and most recently, in reference /26/.

Greenhouse gases cause an increase in the ability of the atmosphere to retain surplus heat radiated from the earth. Consequently the temperature of the earth’s surface is rising and this leads to climate changes. There are several ozone-depleting substances that also have a strong greenhouse effect. These substances are regulated under the Montreal Protocol.

The potential effect of different greenhouse gases varies from substance to substance. This potential is expressed by a GWP value (Global Warming Potential). The so-called F-gases (HFCs, PFCs and SF₆) that do not have an ozone-depleting effect, but which have high GWP values are regulated by the Kyoto Protocol under the United Nation Climate Change Convention.

The Danish EPA has published a booklet on the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect /5/, and the Danish EPA has also published a report on substituting the greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs and SF₆ /10/.