UK delays tougher HFC phasedown targets as businesses struggle to find alternatives

THE UK government has delayed its planned phasedown of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants following a public consultation, while businesses say they are struggling to find alternatives to the highly potent greenhouse gases. 

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) proposed last November replacing the existing HFC phasedown plan with more ambitious targets from January 2027. However, following over 130 consultation responses, Defra announced last month that it will not make any changes to the current plans this year, saying this would “give industry clarity ahead of 2027”. 

HFCs, widely used as refrigerants, are ultra-potent greenhouse gases that can have a global warming impact up to 14,000 times stronger than CO2, with one recent study characterising them as a “major problem” in the fight against climate change. Under current measures, HFCs placed on the UK market must be reduced by 79% by 2030 compared with the 2015–19 average. Defra had proposed to amend the 2030 target to 89.7%, gradually increasing to 98.6% by 2050.

Defra plans to release a report summarising the consultation responses later this year and outline its next steps, saying “we remain committed to introducing ambitious reform to the HFC phasedown”. The announcement only ruled out legislation in 2026, suggesting the government has not abandoned the proposals altogether.

In a separate survey by energy consultancy Aggreko of more than 300 plant managers responsible for cooling systems, 94% said fluorinated-gas legislation would have a moderate or major impact on their ability to maintain or upgrade equipment.

Aggreko also found 44% of respondents were “very concerned” about the impact of extreme weather. 

Some users are returning to “natural refrigerants” such as CO2, ammonia and hydrocarbons, while researchers are developing new refrigerants such as crystal-based materials. However, cost and availability of alternative refrigerants were cited as major barriers to HFC phasedown in Aggreko’s survey. 

Aggreko’s head of temperature control, Chris Smith, said: “Ageing equipment, higher operating temperatures and regulatory flux are converging to create a difficult situation that plant managers may not have the budget to adequately respond to.  

“This is why we’re encouraging manufacturers to engage with the supply chain as clearly as possible and implement strategies that could help alleviate these pressures. With the right support, businesses can access efficient, scalable cooling systems that meet today’s demands without hitting the balance sheet.”

Greg Picker, executive director of Refrigerants Australia, told TCE earlier this year that a gradual phasedown of HFCs would be a more effective approach than a total ban, saying that “zealotry” over previous generations of synthetic refrigerants led to bans that “overrode what was a practical solution”.