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HFC phase down in New Zealand

The government of New Zealand recently published a consultation document listing the steps required to ratify the Kigali Amendment.

As early as January 2019, all of the developed countries that ratify the Kigali amendment will have lowered their average HFC consumption by 10% (compared to 2011-2013 levels). The government of New Zealand is therefore currently considering how to implement this phase down. A consultation document published in May 2017 lists a number of steps that are required for New Zealand to ratify:

  • A consultation to update existing regulations (from May 13 to June 23).
  • An examination of the Kigali Amendment by Parliament.
  • An approval of new regulations and the ratification of the amendment (2018).
  • The implementation of an import permitting system for HFCs (New Zealand does not manufacture HFCs, it only imports them. To comply with the Kigali amendment, there will be a reduction of around 1340 ktCO2eq of HFC imports between 2019 and 2036).
  • The start of the HFC import control (January 1, 2019).

The purpose of the consultation was to seek feedback on the proposed controls, including the permitting system. Permits would be allocated by the New Zealand Environmental Protection Agency, which would also be responsible for allocating the HFC quantities to applicants. The consultation was opened to industry, NGOs and consumers. It is available here: http://bit.ly/NZ-Consultation-NL71.