The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) welcomed the recent fines for a Rotorua-based company and one of its employees for illegally releasing a synthetic greenhouse gas.
On the 25th of June 2026, the Rotorua District Court fined G.B/ Teat Limited and an employee, Cole Wicks, following their guilty plea to a single charge each under the Climate Change Response Act 2002. G.B Teat Limited was fined NZD 6,700, and Wicks was fined NZD 3,350.
The charges were laid in relation to the deliberate release of a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) into the atmosphere during an incident on the 20th of December 2024, while Wicks was providing heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) services.
HFCs are a group of synthetic, or man-made, gases that are made up of hydrogen (H), fluorine (F) and carbon (C). They are primarily used in refrigeration and cooling industries.
They have a Global Warming Potential of up to 14,800 times that of carbon dioxide. This means that while they don’t harm the ozone layer, they do contribute to global climate change.
Acting General Manager of Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement, Brian Ruiterman, said that the successful prosecution highlighted the importance of properly handling substances with high Global Warming Potential.
“The Court’s decision is a good reminder to all businesses working in the HVAC industry of their obligations under the Climate Change Response Act and to ensure they are correctly handling greenhouse gases,” said Ruiterman.
“The Act provides mechanisms for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and establishes the legal framework for New Zealand to meet our international climate change obligations.”
Ruiterman added that it is an offence to knowingly release any HFC into the atmosphere when installing, operating, servicing, modifying, dismantling, or disposing of refrigeration or air-conditioning equipment. They are potent greenhouse gases, and their handling is tightly controlled.
He also said it was essential that everyone follow the rules around how greenhouse gases with high Global Warming Potential are handled. The EPA will take action to protect people and the environment from the harm these gases cause.
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