F-gases: All you need
to know

These gases are more commonly known as fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases), but also as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), hydrofluoro-olefins (HFOs) and hydrochlorofluoro-olefins (HCFOs). They are used every day to keep food fresh and safe to eat, in appliances such as fridges, freezers, car air conditioning units and to keep our houses warm with heat pumps. They even cool life-saving vaccines. 

Certain medical-grade F-gases are used as propellants in life-saving metered dose inhalers (MDIs) for the treatment of a range of respiratory conditions, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

F-gases are highly energy efficient, effective and non-toxic. However, some can contribute to global warming if released to the atmosphere. The EU aims to reduce  global warming emissions from F-gases by two-thirds by 2030 through the F-gas regulation. This site helps tell you how this will happen and explains why F-gases are so important and irreplaceable.