ASHRAE and UNEP renew environmental agreement

USA: ASHRAE and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have renewed their longstanding memorandum of understanding to advance sustainable refrigeration and air conditioning.

The new MoU is said to strengthen cooperation on lifecycle refrigerant management, energy efficiency, technology, safety and capacity building in developing countries.

UNEP OzonAction and ASHRAE have cooperated strategically since 2007. The new agreement establishes a two-year framework to support the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment. 

Priorities include strengthening the refrigeration and air-conditioning workforce in developing countries, advancing international standards and technical guidance, promoting energy-efficient cooling, and exploring digital and artificial intelligence (AI)- enabled tools to improve refrigerant management and system performance.

The partnership will be implemented through the 2026–2027 Work Plan, the seventh in a series of joint work plans. Under the theme Lifecycle Refrigerant Management, activities will address refrigerants from manufacture and importation through equipment selection and use, servicing and leak prevention, and ultimately end-of-life management. 

Projects include an AI-powered mobile field companion for RAC technicians, new fact sheets on safe handling of flammable refrigerants, continued promotion and evaluation of ASHRAE-UNEP educational products, and stronger connections between ASHRAE chapters and National Ozone Units.