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The greenhouse gases subject to emission reduction commitments under the UN Climate Convention include the fluorinated compounds sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The present study projects the emissions of these gases in Germany over the 1995-2010 period, with and without additional emission abatement efforts. In the business-as-usual scenario, total emissions of the three fluorinated gases rise over the 1995-2010 period from 11.1 to 27.4 million tonnes CO2 equivalent. This rise is 72% attributable to HFCs, used above all for refrigeration and stationary air-conditioning, for mobile air-conditioning, for blowing extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam and for one-component polyurethane (PU) foam. Soundproof glazing is the largest SF6 emissions sector. Most PFC emissions come from semiconductor manufacturing and aluminium smelting. The reduction scenario, too, does not achieve stabilization of fluorinated gas emissions. The rate of growth is only slowed, with 11.1 million tonnes CO2 equivalent in 1995 growing to 14.9 million in 2010. The measures proposed to attenuate emissions growth are: mandatory equipment maintenance in refrigeration and stationary air-conditioning, refrigerant substitution of HFCs by CO2 in mobile air-conditioning, partial HFC substitution by CO2 and ethanol in XPS foam blowing, 95% HFC substitution by flammable hydrocarbons in one-component PU foam. Complete SF6 phase-out is considered to be feasible in soundproof glazing. The PFC emissions of the semiconductor industry can be cut by 85% by new chamber cleaning technologies.

Keywords: Global Warming Impact; Greenhouse Gases; Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6); Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC); CFC Replacement; R134a; Refrigerants; Propellants; Tetrafluormethane (CF4); Hexafluorethane (C2F6); Perfluorocarbons (PFC); Emissions of Fluorinated Compounds in Germany

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