In October 2012, the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment published the findings of the SKM Enviros Study. This study followed up on the ERIE ARMINES study, published in October 2011 and looked into the potential for the phase down of HFC consumption in the EU refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump (RAC) markets.

The objective of the study was to investigate the potential costs and the reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of different profiles/scenarios for the phase down of HFC consumption in the EU. The consultancy SKM Enviros looked into 4 different scenarios varying from a ‘Business as Usual’ scenario reflecting the possible use of HFCs to scenarios where there is full implementation of the F-gas Regulation and additional policy measures, such as a HFC consumption phase-down mechanism.

Even though making accurate forecast over a 20 to 30 year period is very difficult, especially as some of the refrigerants that will be used are not yet commercially available or are only in the early stages of commercial development the study found that a phase-down scenario could achieve a reduction in HFC consumption of 30% in 2020 (vs. 2010) and substantially moreby 2030.

The 30% consumption reduction by 2020 and a potential 60 to 65% consumption reduction by 2030 would result in f-gas emission savings of approximately 74 M tonnes of CO2 equivalents in the RAC sector alone.

The different scenarios that were examined by the study are described inthe study's executive summary, available below.

ENVIROS STUDY

[ΠΗΓΗ: http://www.epeeglobal.org]