Global move to reduce HFC emissions

USA: The world’s leading refrigeration associations are backing a global initiative to reduce refrigerant emissions.

The Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy, the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), and the Brazilian Association ABRAVA, today announced the formation of the Global Refrigerant Management Initiative at the United Nations Secretary-General’s Climate Summit in New York.

It is said that the initiative will work to educate the industry’s global supply chain on ways to improve the management of refrigerants and to reduce leaks and service emissions, particularly where current leak rates are the greatest. In addition, the initiative will promote the recycling, recovery, reclaiming and end of life destruction of refrigerants and develop policies to promote proper refrigerant management.

Global support

The air conditioning and refrigeration associations behind the Global Refrigerant Management Initiative are ABRAVA (Brazil), ACAIRE (Colombia), AHRI (USA); Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy (USA), ANFIR (Mexico), AREMA (Australia), CRAA, (China), EPEE (Europe), HRAI (Canada), JRAIA (Japan), KRAIA (South Korea, RAMA (India) and Refrigerants Australia.

“We have established this initiative because it is incumbent on all sectors of our industry to work with our governments to educate the individuals who install, service, and replace hvacr equipment on how to handle these refrigerants responsibly and to create a culture of responsible care,” said Alliance executive director Kevin Fay.

This private-sector organised effort will also include participation from refrigerant organisations from Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, the EU, Japan, Mexico and South Korea, representing 90% of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment sold around the globe. The initiative will also work with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) partners to develop refrigerant management programmes. The CCAC is a partnership of governments, intergovernmental organisations, the private sector and environmental groups.

“Environmental stewardship is a hallmark of our industry,” said AHRI president Stephen Yurek. “This initiative furthers our commitment to providing for the health, safety, and comfort of people around the world in the most responsible way possible,” he said.

The Alliance and the AHRI were amongst the companies and organisations that participated in last week’s HFC Industry Leadership Roundtable at the White House. Amongst a host of voluntary commitments to replace high GWP refrigerants was the announcement that the industry will invest $5bn over the next decade to research, develop, and commercialise low-GWP technologies, new refrigerants and the equipment in which they will be used.  

Further reading

Industry backs Obama plans to cut HFCs – September 16, 2014
USA: Leading US air conditioning and refrigeration companies are backing president Obama’s call to  slash emissions of HFCs and accelerate a global HFC phase down. Read more…