Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), commonly used as refrigerants, can easily contribute to global warming and are being phased out in the European Union. However, as controls tighten, prices rise, and criminals sense business opportunities. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), a British environmental organization, announced its investigation results in April. Criminals, desperate for high profits, smuggled large quantities of refrigerants from China and Turkey into Europe, exacerbating the climate crisis.
HFCs are mainly used in refrigeration equipment, electronic cleaning and other fields. Although they will not destroy the ozone layer, they have high warming potential (GWP) and will accelerate global warming. Therefore, Europe and other industrial countries have promised to use 85% less in 2036 than in 2012. However, this product is still circulating in the market.
“It is not difficult to find illegal HFCs on the European market,” Fin Walravens, senior climate specialist at the Environmental Investigation Agency, told Euractiv. “As long as you can successfully smuggle the most polluting and dirtiest gases, you can make money. The most money". He said that illegal HFCs trade not only exacerbates climate change, but also involves major tax evasion.
The Environmental Investigation Agency published an investigation report three years ago, revealing that illegal HFCs were smuggled into the EU through Romania. The updated investigation "More Chilling Than Ever" in April this year further exposed the smuggling pipeline. Smugglers mainly purchase HFCs from Turkey and China, enter the EU through Bulgaria and other countries, and then sell them to Greece, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
The Environmental Investigation Agency found that traffickers have become more sophisticated in their methods. They reduce the use of banned disposable cylinders, or disguise HFCs as environmentally friendly refrigerant HFO to avoid detection.
The EU's newly revised "fluorinated greenhouse gases regulations" just came into effect in March, providing law enforcement agencies with more tools to combat illegal trade. However, Valrafens pointed out that as the EU accelerates the elimination of HFCs, the demand for non-HFCs may rise again. The EU must coordinate and cooperate as soon as possible and actively enforce the law to combat climate crimes.
Ian Rae, a former technical adviser to the Montreal Protocol and an honorary professor at the University of Melbourne, said that even if there are better environmentally friendly alternatives on the market, it is not easy to eliminate old chemicals. Some customers are very satisfied with the old product, and the new product may be more expensive, so they are hesitant to use the new product.
References:
* Environmental Investigation Agency (2024.4.8), Illegal smuggling of refrigerant gases into Europe continues as the climate crisis worsens
*Environmental Investigation Agency (2024.4.8), More Chilling Than Ever – Tackling Europe's ongoing illegal trade in HFC climate super pollutants
*euractiv (2024.4.8), Climate-warming gases being smuggled into Europe, investigation says
*Ministry of Environment (2023.11.21), actively mitigating global warming. Ministry of Environment announces draft of hydrofluorocarbon management law
Source: Environmental Information Center
