A method for reducing the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the earth's atmosphere during coating operations of the type which permit the escape of VOCs into the atmosphere comprising: (a) providing a substrate to be coated with a coating composition of the type comprising a carrier comprising VOCs (b) providing a coating composition which is formed by steps comprising: (i) providing one or more fluorocopolymers by copolymerization of first monomer selected from the group consisting of hydrofluoroethylenes, hydrofluoropropenes, hydrofluorobutenes, hydrofluoropentenes and combinations of these, second monomer comprising vinyl ester(s), and third monomer comprising vinyl ether(s), wherein at least a portion of said vinyl ether monomer is a hydroxyl group-containing vinyl ether; and (ii) providing a carrier comprising VOC compounds for said one or more of said fluorocopolymers, wherein said carrier comprises VOCs and (iii) combining said one or more of said fluorocopolymers with said carrier such that said fluoropolymer(s) comprise(s) at least 70% by weight of said coating composition, the VOC content of said carrier is not greater than 30% by weight of said coating composition, wherein said fluoropolymer(s) has a number average molecular weight of from 10,000 to 14,000 as measured by gel phase chromatography ("GPC") according to a method outlined in the description, and wherein the VOC content is less than 450 g/l; (c) coating the substrate with said coating composition of said providing step (b); and (d) forming a protective polymeric layer on and adhered to said substrate by allowing at least a substantial portion of said VOCs in said carrier to evaporate into the atmosphere, whereby said protective coating is formed. (a) providing a substrate to be coated with a coating composition of the type comprising a carrier comprising VOCs (b) providing a coating composition which is formed by steps comprising: (i) providing one or more fluorocopolymers by copolymerization of first monomer selected from the group consisting of hydrofluoroethylenes, hydrofluoropropenes, hydrofluorobutenes, hydrofluoropentenes and combinations of these, second monomer comprising vinyl ester(s), and third monomer comprising vinyl ether(s), wherein at least a portion of said vinyl ether monomer is a hydroxyl group-containing vinyl ether; and (ii) providing a carrier comprising VOC compounds for said one or more of said fluorocopolymers, wherein said carrier comprises VOCs and (iii) combining said one or more of said fluorocopolymers with said carrier such that said fluoropolymer(s) comprise(s) at least 70% by weight of said coating composition, the VOC content of said carrier is not greater than 30% by weight of said coating composition, wherein said fluoropolymer(s) has a number average molecular weight of from 10,000 to 14,000 as measured by gel phase chromatography ("GPC") according to a method outlined in the description, and wherein the VOC content is less than 450 g/l; (i) providing one or more fluorocopolymers by copolymerization of first monomer selected from the group consisting of hydrofluoroethylenes, hydrofluoropropenes, hydrofluorobutenes, hydrofluoropentenes and combinations of these, second monomer comprising vinyl ester(s), and third monomer comprising vinyl ether(s), wherein at least a portion of said vinyl ether monomer is a hydroxyl group-containing vinyl ether; and (ii) providing a carrier comprising VOC compounds for said one or more of said fluorocopolymers, wherein said carrier comprises VOCs and (iii) combining said one or more of said fluorocopolymers with said carrier such that said fluoropolymer(s) comprise(s) at least 70% by weight of said coating composition, the VOC content of said carrier is not greater than 30% by weight of said coating composition, wherein said fluoropolymer(s) has a number average molecular weight of from 10,000 to 14,000 as measured by gel phase chromatography ("GPC") according to a method outlined in the description, and wherein the VOC content is less than 450 g/l; (c) coating the substrate with said coating composition of said providing step (b); and (d) forming a protective polymeric layer on and adhered to said substrate by allowing at least a substantial portion of said VOCs in said carrier to evaporate into the atmosphere, whereby said protective coating is formed.