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%. 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.
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.
However, HFC consumption rose again for the first time in 2022 - a result of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, according to FOEN investigations. And there are also uncertainties in the future, for example whether the boom in new heat pumps will take place in time for the next internationally agreed reduction steps with natural refrigerants. We therefore currently rate the development 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 recently 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).
Further information