Illegal refrigerant gases are being smuggled into Europe causing potentially more damage to the Ozone Layer.

Research from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) suggests that the European illegal trade in hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gases, are still being trafficked in quantity, and black market traders and traffickers are becoming more sophisticated and adapting their tactics to evade detection.

Commonly used in refrigeration and air-conditioning, HFCs are currently being phased down, but in its latest investigation, More Chilling Than Ever – Tackling Europe’s ongoing illegal trade in HFC climate super pollutants, the EIA uncovered evidence of traders primarily sourcing HFCs from Turkey and China.

EIA Senior Climate Campaigner Fin Walravens said: “Globally, HFCs are being phased down under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. As countries around the world begin to reduce HFC consumption, they can learn important lessons from Europe’s experience of illegal trade.”

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