German Government Seeks 'Coalition of the Willing' to Reduce SF6 Emissions in China's Electric Grid
The German government's international development agency is actively seeking to establish a 'coalition of the willing' among emerging and developing countries to address sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) emissions, particularly within China's electric grid. SF6 is a potent greenhouse gas, 24,300 times more effective at warming the planet than carbon dioxide, and once released, it remains in the atmosphere for 1,000 years. China's electric grid is the largest emitter of SF6 globally, with emissions nearly doubling from 2011 to 2021 and projected to continue rising. While China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) claims utilities can recycle 90% of waste SF6, Inside Climate News estimates the actual recycling rate is closer to 30%. Increasing this rate to approximately 90% could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions at a relatively low cost, estimated at about $6 million per year, compared to the $70 billion annually invested in China's electric grid. The Chinese government has recently called for an...
