Greenhouse Gases

Reducing man-made greenhouse gases (fluorinated gases)

The regulation is designed to mitigate climate change and protect the environment by reducing emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases). It aims to cut these by two thirds of today’s levels by 2030.

Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases and repealing Regulation (EC) No 842/2006.

It lays down rules on the containment, use, recovery and destruction of F-gases. It bans the sale of certain products containing F-gases.

It covers hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)*, perfluorocarbons (PFCs)* and sulphur hexafluorides (SF6)*.

It sets an overall yearly limit on the climate impact of HFCs. This will be gradually reduced between 2015 and 2030.

KEY POINTS

The regulation sets out the following obligations.

Intentional release of F-gases is prohibited, unless technically necessary for the intended use of a product. Manufacturers must do their utmost best to limit emissions during the production, transport and storage of F-gases.

Operators of equipment containing F-gases must take every precaution to avoid any leakage. They must ensure the equipment is regularly checked for leaks. Requirements vary according to the potential climate impact or whether the equipment is hermetically sealed.

National authorities are responsible for setting up certification and training programmes for businesses and people involved in installing, servicing, maintaining, repairing or decommissioning F-gases equipment and in recovering F-gases.
It phases in bans from 2015 to 2025 on the sale of new items such as certain categories of fridges and freezers, air-conditioning systems, foams and aerosols containing F-gases where safer, more climate-friendly alternatives exist.

It reduces the climate impact of the use of HFCs over time. The annual limit for HFCs on the market in 2030 is 21 % of 2009-2012 levels. To ensure the limits are respected, the Commission allocates annual quotas to producers and importers. These must not be exceeded.

Producers, importers, exporters, users of feedstock and businesses that destroy F-gases must report annually to the Commission. Importers of F-gases equipment must do the same and from 2017 provide evidence that the quantities of HFCs in their imported equipment are accounted for.
The Commission will report on the effects of the regulation by 31 December 2022.

BACKGROUND

F-gases are man-made greenhouse gases with a global warming effect up to 23 000 times that of carbon dioxide. They account for 2 % of EU greenhouse gas emissions. F-gases are often replaceable by more climate-friendly alternatives.

HFCs are used as refrigerants, cleaning solvents and foam-blowing agents (such as fire extinguishers).

PFCs are used to manufacture semi-conductors, as cleaning solvents and as foam-blowing agents.

SF 6 are used in high-voltage switch gear and magnesium production.

REFERENCES

Regulation (EU) No 517/2014

Monitoring, reporting and verification of ships’ CO2 emissions

Shipping is a growing source of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) that cause climate change. The European Union (EU) supports a global approach to tackle the phenomenon. But as a first step to reduce emissions, it has agreed that large vessels using EU ports from 2018 should report their annually verified CO2 emissions and other energy relevant information.

Regulation (EU) No 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 on the monitoring, reporting and verification of carbon dioxide emissions from maritime transport, and amending Directive 2009/16/EC

It establishes rules for an EU system to accurately monitor, report and verify (MRV) CO2 emissions and other relevant information from large ships using EU ports. It becomes applicable from 1 January 2018.

KEY POINTS

The system will apply to all vessels over 5 000 gross tonnes visiting EU ports after 1 January 2018.
—It will cover CO2 emissions from ships at sea and at berth. Data to be monitored on each ship cover also other energy-efficiency related information as distance travelled, time spent at sea and cargo carried.

Each year, ship companies must provide externally verified records for each vessel covered by the Regulation.

To ensure that monitoring is consistent and comparable, companies must document their methodology to be applied in a monitoring plan. They must check regularly whether the methodology needs to be improved. If necessary, they must submit it for reassessment to an accredited verifier.
The monitoring plan must contain complete and transparent documentation on items such as the various sources of CO2 on the vessel and the procedures for determining activity data per voyage (i.e. distance covered, number of passengers, details of cargo carried, time spent at sea, etc.).

By 31 August 2017, companies must prepare a monitoring plan for each of their ships covered by the Regulation. The plans must be submitted to an accredited verifier for assessment.
From 30 April 2019, companies must submit a verified annual emissions report to the European Commission.
From 30 June 2019 ships having visited EU ports during a previous reporting period must carry on board a valid document showing their compliance with the MRV obligations.
By 30 June each year starting from 2019, the Commission must make the reported information publicly available.

BACKGROUND

Emissions from the global shipping industry amount to about 1 billion tonnes every year. That represents 3 % of the world’s, and 4 % of the EU’s, total greenhouse gas emissions. Unless measures are taken to reduce these, they could more than double by 2050.

The MRV system is expected to cut CO2 emissions by up to 2 %. It could reduce net costs to ship owners by up to €1.2 billion per year in 2030.

Reducing emissions from the shipping sector

REFERENCES

Regulation (EU) No 2015/757

Carbon dioxide capture and storage

The geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) can prevent and minimise the harmful effects of climate change. This directive establishes rules to ensure this practice is done safely.

Directive 2009/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the geological storage of carbon dioxide and amending Council Directive 85/337/EEC, European Parliament and Council Directives 2000/60/EC, 2001/80/EC, 2004/35/EC, 2006/12/EC, 2008/1/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006.

The geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) can prevent and minimise the harmful effects of climate change. This directive establishes rules to ensure this practice is done safely.

This directive, known as the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Directive, establishes a legal framework that helps tackle climate change through the environmentally safe geological storage of CO2.

KEY POINTS

Geological CO2 storage sites must be environmentally safe. They cannot interfere with any bodies of water (because of potential negative effects of CO2 placed into water-columns) or present any health risks. Determining the suitability of these sites includes a rigorous process of data collection, computer static and dynamic modelling to make a 3D model of the candidate storage complex, sensitivity characterisation by applying various simulations on the 3D model and risk assessments using information gathered from the previous steps.

Permits are required to use geological storage sites. Permit applications, submitted to the competent authority of the EU country at hand, must include information such as the expected security of the storage site, the quantity of CO2 to be injected, the measures to prevent significant irregularities and a proposed monitoring plan. The Commission may issue a non-binding opinion on the draft storage permit to ensure consistency in the implementation of the requirements of the directive across the EU, therefore enhancing public confidence in CCS. Once issued, the competent authority reviews the permit 5 years after issue and every 10 years after that.

No other waste or matter may be added to the CO2 storage sites for the purpose of waste disposal. CO2 monitoring results by site operators must be communicated to the competent authority once every year. Meanwhile, the monitoring plan must be updated by the site operator every 5 years and approved by the competent authority. In case of leakage, immediate action must be taken by the site operator (or by the competent authority if the site operator fails to do so) in line with the corrective measures plan approved by the competent authority as part of the storage permit.

Storage sites are closed if there is a substantiated request and conditions stated in the permit have been met by the site operator or if the competent authority decides to close the site after the withdrawal of the permit. Once closed, the operator remains responsible for the site until the conditions for transfer of responsibility are met (mainly the condition that the CO2 will be completely and permanently stored).

BACKGROUND

This directive is part of the EU’s 2020 climate and energy package, adopted in April 2009.From 25 June 2009. It amended Council Directive 85/337/EEC, European Parliament and Council Directives 2000/60/EC, 2001/80/EC, 2004/35/EC, 2006/12/EC, 2008/1/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006).

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to the process by which from large sources like power plants, CO2 is captured, compressed and transported to and injected into geological storage sites, which are generally deep underground layers of porous rock capped with impermeable rock, in ways that ensure the CO2 does not leak out into the atmosphere.

REFERENCES

Directive 2009/31/EC

Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of Directive 2009/31/EC on the geological storage of carbon dioxide (COM(2014) 99 final of 25.2.2014).