Consumption of hydrofluorocarbons
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are synthetic chemicals which have high global warming potential, in some cases up to several thousand times as much as CO2. Today they are used in a number of areas, for example as refrigerants or in foams.
Owing to their high contribution to global warming, the use of these substances has been increasingly restricted in Switzerland since 2003 with the Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance, resulting in a decrease in HFC emissions. Moreover, an international agreement has been in force since 2019 (the Montreal Protocol and its 2016 extension, the Kigali Amendment), in which ratifying countries commit to phasing down their consumption of the most common HFCs by 80 to 85%, based on the annual average for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013.
The reduction path for Switzerland envisages a phased reduction of 40% by 2024, 70% by 2029, 80% by 2034 and 85% by 2036. Having ratified the Kigali Amendment, Switzerland now reports its consumption data annually. These figures correspond to the indicator shown here.
The indicator refers to Switzerland's HFC consumption and its current position on the established path to phase down consumption. It quantifies a specific contribution to Switzerland's climate policy goals as well as its compliance with international commitments.
medium
unsatisfactory
There was a sharp rise in HFC consumption ‒ and thus in HFC emissions ‒ in the 1990s because at that time HFCs were commonly used to replace the ozone-depleting substances regulated under the Montreal Protocol. This led to a shift in the emissions problem, from ozone-depleting gases to climate-warming gases. With the current state of technology, HFCs can already be avoided in many sectors (e.g. through the use of natural refrigerants in cooling systems and heat pumps). HFC consumption has therefore declined steadily since the mid-2010s. In 2021, there was a particularly large reduction in HFC consumption. According to the FOEN's clarifications, the resurgence in 2022 was a result of the resumption of activities in certain economic sectors that had been reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2023, consumption will be slightly below the level seen in the period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the reduction path of the Montreal Protocol, it is only just below the value for the years 2024 to 2028. We therefore assess the current situation as "unsatisfactory".
Further efforts to substitute for HFCs will be necessary if we are to continue along the internationally agreed reduction path in the future. This applies in particular to appliance and system manufacturers, who are required to develop alternatives, but also to the operators of systems and plants, who make purchasing decisions. Regulatory changes in environmental legislation are also necessary to support the substitution process.
Consumption data from other countries can be found in the Data Center of the Ozone Secretariat (Secretariat of the Montreal Protocol). These data are of limited value at the current time, as the commitment period has only since 2019 begun.
The data are based on importers' annual reporting to the FOEN on imported quantities of substances stable in the atmosphere (in accordance with the reporting requirements under Annex 1.5 number 7.1.1 of the Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance ORRChem).
| Targeted trend | Initial value | Final value | Approach to the theoretical path in % | Observed trend | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 662.66 n 2029 | 2011-2013*,** | 2021-2023** | 74.31% | Towards theoretical path | unsatisfactory |
*Initial values in accordance with article 2j of the Montreal Protocol.
**Deviation from the predefined assessment method: because of the large annual variations in the data, the average of the initial and final values was used to assess the trend.
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