Potential Greenhouse Effect of Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Declines
Germany cut its use of fluorinated greenhouse gases in 2024, according to the latest figures. The total potential warming effect of these gases dropped by 2.5% compared to the previous year. They now make up just 1.4% of the country’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.
Overall emissions in Germany also fell by 3.4% in 2024, reaching 649 million metric tons of CO₂-equivalent.
The biggest reduction came from chemical manufacturing, where fluorinated gas use plunged by 53.2%. The sector emitted just 0.1 million metric tons of CO₂-equivalent in 2024. Wholesale trade (excluding motor vehicles) also saw a sharp decline of 45.8%, dropping to 0.4 million metric tons. Mechanical engineering followed with a 17.0% decrease, reaching 1.2 million metric tons.
In total, fluorinated gases released in 2024 had a warming potential equal to 7.0 million metric tons of CO₂. Two gases dominated usage: R 1234yf (tetrafluoropropene) was the most common, with 2,273 metric tons used. Despite its high volume, it contributed only 0.03% to the total greenhouse effect of all fluorinated gases. R 134a (tetrafluoroethane) came second, with 1,548 metric tons used, but accounted for 28.6% of the warming impact.
No specific companies were named as the largest users of these gases in the available data for 2024.
The drop in fluorinated gas use aligns with Germany’s broader decline in emissions. Chemical manufacturing, wholesale trade, and mechanical engineering all recorded significant cuts. These reductions reflect ongoing efforts to limit high-impact greenhouse gases across key industries.
