Illegal trade in refrigerants
The illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases used in the cooling sector remains a significant obstacle to international efforts seeking to limit the worst impacts of climate change. We have almost 30 years of experience investigating and exposing this criminal trade and, with a steady increase in hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) smuggling in Europe as a result of an EU phase-down of these chemicals, we will continue monitoring and investigating this illegal trade, pushing for strengthened enforcement, working for better engagement on the issue from customs and campaigning for an effective licensing system for HFCs.
The problem
While the Montreal Protocol has been lauded as the most successful environmental treaty, illicit trade in ozone-depleting substances (ODS) which emerged in the mid-1990s remains a challenge.
Smuggling of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), particularly for the refrigerant market, began following the first wave of CFC phase-outs, rapidly growing to a volume of 38,000 tonnes a year at its peak and continuing to this day.
Low risks and high profits make the illegal refrigerant trade attractive to criminal networks. Yet it is often not a priority for enforcement agencies and penalties are usually minor for a crime that costs governments and legitimate businesses millions in lost revenues and results in significant emissions of ozone-destroying and greenhouse gases.