THE government is confident that the UK will achieve significant emission reductions following the full implementation of the F-gas regulations.
Responding to a written question from Conservative MP Stephen Phillips on progress towards the UK's fluorinated greenhouse gas emission targets under the Kyoto protocol, DEFRA minister Richard Benyon revealed that F-gas emissions were 11.7 million tonnes CO₂e in 2009, down from 17.2 million tonnes in 1995.

He revealed that the late 1990s saw a sharp drop in emissions as the two R22 plants in the UK installed equipment to capture and destroyed F gas emissions created as a by-product of the process. The two plants had since closed and from the end of the 1990s, F-gas emissions were relatively steady.

'With the recent full implementation of the EU F gas regulatory framework and the impact of technological change, we anticipate significant emissions reductions in the future,' he said.