From November to December 2022, the Ministry for the Environment consulted on proposals to prohibit the import and sale of equipment pre-charged with hydrofluorocarbons.
After assessing the feedback from the consultation and analysing the policy further, the Ministry has decided not to continue to implement the prohibitions at this time.
In a communication from their Hazardous Substances Policy Team today, the Ministry said:
"Based on the information available to us, the suite of prohibitions that could be proposed was limited and when these prohibitions were modelled, the emissions reductions associated with these prohibitions were not significant. We will continue to monitor the refrigerant market and may look to implement prohibitions in the future."
A Government decision to move ahead with a regulated product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants marks a major step in tackling some of New Zealand’s most potent greenhouse gases.
Kawerau, 20 March 2026 – A high-tech plasma torch was lit up today as Minister of Conservation, Hon Tama Potaka, officially opened the $10 million National Refrigerant Destruction Facility.
