As Deutsche Bahn passengers face the removal of frozen fries from their currywurst due to strict EU F-gas regulations, it has emerged that the German government spent millions of euros funding refrigerators in Colombia.
The contrast, highlighted on social media, has triggered online criticism.
Following the revised EU F-gas Regulation, Deutsche Bahn is phasing out certain refrigerants in its onboard freezers. This has led to frozen French fries being dropped from many bistro menus. The classic Currywurst mit Pommes is now served with potato wedges instead.
However, while domestic climate rules are making everyday conveniences more difficult at home, German development aid continues to promote and subsidise the very technology being restricted under European environmental standards.
Between 2019 and 2024, Germany contributed approximately €4.33 million to the “Colombian NAMA for the domestic refrigeration sector” project.
Implemented by the German development agency GIZ, the initiative supports the introduction of climate-friendly refrigerators using lower global-warming-potential refrigerants, technical upgrades for local manufacturers and market transformation in Colombia.
The broader project has received additional international funding, but Germany has been a major contributor.
The stated objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from household refrigeration in a developing country through technology transfer and incentives for more efficient appliances.
It was the Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party which highlighted the financing project in Colombia after an inquiry to the federal government earlier this year.
“Old refrigerators often contain refrigerants that contribute to global warming thousands of times more than carbon dioxide (CO₂) or have an ozone-depleting effect. It is in Germany’s interest to achieve the reduction of globally effective greenhouse gas emissions at the lowest possible cost”, the government said in its reply at the time.
The policy appears to create a double standard, with Germany imposing costly regulatory burdens at home, while using public money to export and subsidise similar refrigeration technology abroad.
Many argue that if the priority is genuinely reducing emissions from cooling equipment, domestic incentives to upgrade existing systems would be more logical than restricting them.
Brussels is banning certain gasses from refrigeration and freezing equipment due to their potential role in global warming. https://t.co/URmTP2FEhE
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) June 23, 2026
