Env. Ministry mandates businesses to register for 2025 HFC quotas

By Nuzla Rizkiya

The Environment Ministry this week instructed all businesses and individuals involved in importing hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-based products, to complete the mandatory registrations and obtain their HFC quotas for 2025.

In a media notice, the ministry called on the businesses to submit their completed applications, along with all necessary supporting documents, by January 20, 2025.

“Business entities or individuals are not eligible to import HFCs or HFC substances for any purpose without registration,” the notice further cautioned.

Moreover, the ministry stated that if necessary, an interview may be conducted to verify the authenticity of the supporting documents. 

The announcement signals the new government’s intention to continue with the plan formulated by the previous administration in April 2024, to gradually reduce the HFC imports to the country, through an annual import quota system.

As Sri Lanka is a signatory of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the island has a legal obligation to phase out production and consumption of HFCs by 2045.

Accordingly, Sri Lanka is mandated to freeze the HFC consumption from the baseline of 1,170,234 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, starting from 2024 and phase out 67.5 percent of hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) consumption from 2025.

Although HFCs are characterised by their very low potential for ozone layer depletion, the synthetic group of gases has been found to significantly contribute to global warming.