Increased demand for AI, etc., leading to a surge in refrigerants -> Is global warming okay? [Climate Crisis Now]
Demand for refrigerants is rapidly increasing, but there are criticisms that the institutional foundation for effective reduction is weak.
On the 13th, Climate Solutions published a report titled, "People Cool Down, but the Earth Heats Up? The Paradox of the Climate Crisis Brought About by Artificial Refrigerants, HFCs."
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are known to cause a greenhouse effect up to 12,400 times stronger than carbon dioxide. [Photo = Climate Solutions]
HFCs are greenhouse gases with a global warming potential (GWP) up to tens of thousands of times higher than carbon dioxide. They are used in refrigerants. Their consumption is increasing by 10-15% annually worldwide, as they are used not only in everyday home appliances such as air conditioners, but also in the operation of data centers, which are at the core of the artificial intelligence industry.
Currently, 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the use of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment containing refrigerants such as HFCs. This is twice the amount emitted by the entire aviation industry.
HFCs have not been a major issue in responding to the global climate crisis for a long time. This is because they have been recognized as an 'eco-friendly substance' that can replace existing refrigerants, which were the main culprits of ozone layer destruction, due to their low ozone depletion potential.
As the global warming effect, which is up to 12,400 times greater than carbon, became known, the international community began to actively discuss the issue of HFC emissions. In 2016, the 'Kigali Amendment' was adopted, which aims to reduce HFCs.
Korea also has an international obligation to reduce HFC production and consumption by 80% by 2045 compared to the average between 2020 and 2022. Furthermore, considering that Korea is the world's fifth largest producer of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment and that more than 95% of domestically distributed products use HFCs or previous refrigerants, the responsibility for reduction is even greater.
The Korean government's response is somewhat behind that of major countries. Korea ratified the Kigali Amendment in 2023, one year before its mandatory implementation. This is two years later than China, which belongs to the developing country group.
Other OECD countries have also ratified the amendment early and enacted related laws and regulations. The European Union proactively pursued the reduction of HFCs 10 years before the amendment was ratified. As a
result, HFC consumption has been continuously decreasing since 2009. On the other hand, Korea's HFC emissions increased by nearly 40% as of 2022 compared to 2018.
HFCs are emitted little by little over a long period of time not only when producing refrigerant products but also during the installation, use, and disposal processes. Even if the emissions are not immediately available, it is necessary to consider the 'potential emissions' that will occur throughout the entire life cycle of the product.
Currently, there is a lack of a system to measure and manage HFC emissions throughout the entire life cycle of refrigerants. The current 'Ozone Layer Protection Act' does not have any provisions to regulate the disposal of HFCs. There is a problem that different laws are applied to each product for matters such as reporting the amount of refrigerant used, collecting it, processing it, and reporting it, creating blind spots.
The uncertainty of alternatives to HFCs is also pointed out as a limitation. The 'Hydrofluorocarbon Management System Improvement Plan' announced by the government in December of last year included the content of converting HFCs to substances with low global warming potentials, but there was no clear mention of which substances should be used specifically.
In the refrigeration and air conditioning industry, 'Hydrofluoroolefins' (HFOs) are being discussed as a strong alternative candidate, but it is difficult to see it as a sustainable solution because if released into the atmosphere, it can turn into a toxic substance or contaminate drinking water through rain.
The Climate Solutions side made the following suggestions for a practical reduction of HFCs: △Convert HFCs to natural refrigerants rather than HFOs, △Introduce a Lifecycle Refrigerant Management (LRM) system, △Consider enacting a law to comprehensively manage fluorine-based greenhouse gases (F-gas), which HFCs belong to, and △Improve national greenhouse gas statistics for HFCs.
Park Beom-cheol, a researcher at the Climate Solutions Methane and HFCs Team, said, "Demand for refrigeration and air conditioning equipment such as refrigerators and air conditioners will continue to increase due to global warming, which will in turn lead to HFC emissions, further accelerating the climate crisis," adding, "A paradoxical situation is occurring in which HFCs, the raw material for refrigerants, are actually increasing the global temperature." He
added that the government should induce the refrigeration and air conditioning industry to quickly and efficiently reduce and convert to HFCs through active policy responses.
https://www.inews24.com/view/blogger/1822733
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