FLUORINATED GREENHOUSE GASES — i.e. HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), PFCs (perfluorocarbons) and SF6 (sulphur hexafluoride) — are chemical substances whose molecules contain fluorine and which are characterised by a high or very high global warming potential (GWP).
They are the only greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol that do not occur naturally but are instead produced by humans and used, among other things, as: refrigerants in refrigeration and air conditioning, blowing agents for the production of foams and foam-containing products, fire extinguishing agents in fire protection, solvents for cleaning metal parts and electronic components, insulating gas in high-voltage switchgear in the power sector, and propellants in the production of aerosols.
The global production and consumption of these gases is growing rapidly, contributing to climate change. In Poland, matters relating to the reduction of fluorinated greenhouse gas emissions are governed by the Act of 15 May 2015 on substances that deplete the ozone layer and on certain fluorinated greenhouse gases (Journal of Laws of 2017, item 1951).
GREENHOUSE GASES — Greenhouse gases are gaseous components of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, by the atmosphere itself and by clouds. This property gives rise to the greenhouse effect. Water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and ozone (O3) are the principal greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. In addition, there are a number of entirely human-made greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as halocarbons and other substances containing chlorine and bromine, covered by the Montreal Protocol. In addition to CO2, N2O and CH4, the Kyoto Protocol addresses the greenhouse gases sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
CLIMATE — In the narrow sense, climate is usually defined as average weather or, more precisely, as a statistical description in terms of the mean and variability of relevant quantities over a period of time ranging from months to thousands or millions of years. The classic averaging period for these variables is 30 years, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization. The relevant quantities are most often surface variables such as temperature, precipitation and wind. In the broader sense, climate is the state, including the statistical description, of the climate system.
WEATHER — The state of the atmosphere observed at a given place and time — that is, here and now — described by means of meteorological elements, which include, among others: air temperature and humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, cloud cover, and atmospheric phenomena.
CLIMATE CHANGE — A change in the state of the climate that can be identified (e.g. using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/or variability of its properties and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer. Climate change may be due to natural internal processes or external forcings, or to persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use. See also Climate Variability and Detection and Attribution.