Document e0OYYaZOo4M2eNeJOwJ3Bgb9

Meeting with stakeholders on PFAS restriction dossier Short report to be shared with PFAS restriction group and the relevant stakeholder Date: 10 March 2021 Place: Online (30 minutes) Reporting Member State: o NO/DK Participants (names and organization): o Member State: Audun Heggelund, Norwegian Environment Agency; Toke Winther, Danish EPA o Stakeholder: Dietram Oppelt, Managing Director of HEAT and Board Member of NGO Refrigerants, Naturally!, heat-international.de Role of stakeholder/company: HEAT is a German environmental consultancy. Refrigerants, Naturally! is a nongovernmental non-profit association in the F-gas sector. Specific PFAS substance (if applicable): o F-gases, in particular HFC/HFOs Specific subject (if applicable): o HEAT is currently carrying out a project on ecolabelling of heat pumps for UBA (DE). The label will apply to heat pumps with natural refrigerants instead of F-gases (HFC/HFOs). o Warned by industry that transition to heat pumps might be severely restricted by the PFASrestriction - and if we are not taking full advantage of heat pumps, it may be difficult to reach the climate goals. Stakeholder invited to provide the information presented in call for evidence or public consultation? Yes Report o Round of presentations, see above. o HEAT is a consultant with knowledge and experience from the uses of Fgas refrigerants and natural refrigerant alternatives. They are currently working specifically with ecolabelling of heat pumps with natural refrigerants and are also involved in work with safety standards for such equipment. o HEAT explained the current status on the substitution from Fgases to natural refrigerants for different kinds of equipment, including comparison of installation costs. o It was mentioned that in China hydrocarbon refrigerants are used i mobile airconditioning (cars), an application where it is usually assumed that Fgases are not possible to replace. o HEAT is kindly willing to provide a summary assessment of the status of alternatives for different applications in writing. This would be highly appreciated. o NO/DK explained that in a restriction when different applications are considered, and the alternative technology has come further for some of the applications, different transition times may be used to accommodate the transition to alternatives at the right time. In this context, it would be particularly useful if HEAT could comment on the current outlook with regards to development of alternatives to Fgas applications. HEAT is also welcome to look into this aspect during the public consultation of the restriction proposal after submission (some time in 2022). o HEAT asked about the assessment of toxicological effects of Fgases, including degradation products. NO/DK explained that a broad assessment will be done of both human health and environmental hazards of the substances in the scope of the restriction, including degradation products. And, with basis in the resulting concern description, we will develop the restriction proposal.