U.K. Government Delays HFC Phasedown Reform

After receiving industry input, the U.K.’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced that it will delay implementing changes to the country’s HFC phasedown schedule.

The proposed changes, which were open for public comment from November 5 to December 17, 2025, were intended to address shortcomings in the U.K.’s HFC phase-out commitments. The country’s current f-gas regulation predates the 2016 adoption of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol by two years, with a 79% end-target reduction by 2030 compared to its average recorded HFC production and import levels from 2009 to 2012. The international commitment, ratified by the U.K., mandates an 85% reduction by 2036.

“Based on an assessment of the 137 consultation responses, we have concluded that further work is required on changes to the HFC phasedown,” DEFRA said. “To give industry clarity ahead of 2027, we confirm that we will not legislate in 2026 to change the phasedown steps from January 1, 2027.”

The current schedule will remain in effect. Beginning January 1, 2027, the HFC phase down will limit production and imports to 24% of the U.K.’s 2015 baseline level, then fall to 21% in 2030 — the country’s final regulated target.

Proposed changes: DEFRA proposed three phase-down timelines based on a 2022 assessment that analyzed the effectiveness and financial impact of the country’s current f-gas regulation, climate ambitions, international compliance and sector-specific analysis.

• The “high ambition” timeline for 2027‒2029 limited HFC production and imports to 16.2% of the U.K.’s 2015 baseline level.
• Although each proposal set a slightly different yearly target, the 2036 targets all come within an HFC reduction of 92.7% or better.
• In 2022, the vast majority (74%) of the U.K.’s f-gas emissions, totaling 7.6 million metric tons of CO₂e, came from leaks in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems.

Industry response: Several professional organizations in the country responded to DEFRA’s consultation request and its reform delay.

• The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board, representing a range of trade associations and professional institutes, raised concerns about compliance, training and the safe use of non-HFC equipment and servicing options for existing equipment, noting that 46% of cold stores still operate with HFCs.
• “The delay should help to enable industry planning to more effectively manage the transition to lower GWP refrigerants and achieve our net–zero targets,” said Chris Yates, Chief Executive at Federation of Environmental Trade Associations.
• “Whilst contractors have proven time and again that they are ready to deliver in the UK’s decarbonization journey, without a coherent transition plan the burden will fall disproportionately on the SMEs [small- and medium-sized enterprises], training providers and the front-line workforce,” said Kevin Morrissey, Director of Technical at the Building Energy Services Association.

Already moving: The U.K.’s adoption of natural refrigerants such as CO₂ (R744), ammonia (R717) and hydrocarbons across commercial and industrial applications demonstrates existing market readiness for HFC phase-down reform, according to ATMOsphere reports “Natural Refrigerants: Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration 2025” and “Natural Refrigerants: State of the Industry 2024.” ATMOsphere is the publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com.

• As of October 2022 Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket brand based on annual turnover, operates 1,000 stores (one-third of its locations) with transcritical CO₂ refrigeration. As of 2024 roughly 22% of U.K.-based Co-op’s 2,348 food retail locations operate with natural refrigerants, with its first CO₂ system installed in 2017.
• To replace its gas-fired combined heat and power plant and f-gas-based chillers, the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham installed four GEA ammonia heat pump-chiller units, providing 8MW (2,275TR) of heating capacity and 8.7MW (2,474TR) of cooling.
• As part of district heating decarbonization efforts, London’s Clapham Park installed two Fenagy air-sourced CO₂ heat pumps totaling 3MW (853TR), while Solihull in England’s West Midlands deployed five Refra air-to-water propane (R290) heat pumps and one water-to-water isobutane (R600a) unit to deliver 1.6MW (455TR) of district heating and hot water to local public buildings.

Quotable: “We remain committed to introducing ambitious reform to the HFC phasedown,” DEFRA said, adding that it will summarize feedback on the proposed changes and outline next steps in a report later this year.