Honeywell PMT at National Assembly Forum: "Need for Policy Development on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases"

"Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Potential Emissions Account for 9-10% of Total Korean Emissions"

The chimneys of the Shin-Incheon Combined Cycle Power Plant in Seo-gu, Incheon, on October 27 last year, when the government finalized the revised 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target. The key point of the NDC revision is to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions by 40% compared to 2018 by 2030. (Image source=Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] A call for policy development on fluorinated greenhouse gases, which are a blind spot in greenhouse gas management, was raised at a National Assembly forum.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AmCham) announced that this claim was made at a National Assembly forum attended on the 12th by Honeywell's Fluorochemical Business Unit (Honeywell PMT), a member company and American petrochemical firm. The forum, titled "Management Measures for Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases to Achieve Carbon Neutrality," was co-hosted by Democratic Party lawmakers Yang Yi-won-young and Lee Soo-jin, along with the Climate Change Center.

The potential greenhouse gas emissions from refrigerant consumption in Korea accounted for 9-10% of the annual greenhouse gas emissions as of 2018. Previously, in 1987, countries signed the Montreal Protocol, an international climate agreement regulating ozone-depleting substances. The protocol essentially banned the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), used as refrigerants in refrigerators and air conditioners, starting in 1996 for developed countries and from 2010 for developing countries. Accordingly, substitute substances for ozone-depleting materials must be used, but concerns have been raised that these are still in a management blind spot. In fact, developed countries such as Europe, the United States, and Japan are increasingly alert to refrigerant management linked to greenhouse gas reduction.

Yoo Ki-chul, CEO of Honeywell PMT, spoke as a presenter on "Global Fluorinated Gas (Refrigerants and Blowing Agents) Market Trends," stating, "Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are recognized as the main culprits of greenhouse gases, and there is a need to establish national statistics on them." He added, "A sector-specific 'substitution roadmap' for areas with high carbon dioxide (CO2) usage should be prepared, and appropriate support systems and regulations are necessary."

The forum presentation materials can be found on the Climate Change Center website. The discussion video is available on the YouTube channel 'Kharn.' Kharn is a green building specialized channel and co-hosted this forum.