Australia’s HVACR industry has joined a newly-formed global alliance that has been created to identify ways to improve the management of refrigerants and to reduce leaks and service emissions.
Formation of the Global Refrigerant Management Initiative was formally announced by the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy, the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the Brazilian Association for HVAC-R (ABRAVA) at the United Nations Secretary-General’s Climate Summit this week.
Refrigerants Australia executive director Greg Picker confirmed Australia’s participation and said the initiative is also supported by the Airconditioning and Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturers Association of Australia (AREMA).
The initiative also has the support of refrigerant organisations from Canada, China, Colombia, the European Union, Japan, Mexico and South Korea.
The leakage of refrigerant during the servicing of equipment is the largest source of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions around the globe.
The initiative will also promote the recycling, recovery, reclaiming and end of life destruction of refrigerants and develop policies to promote proper refrigerant management.
Alliance executive director, Kevin Fay, said the global coalition represents 90 per cent of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment sold around the globe.
The initiative will also work with CCAC (Climate and Clean Air Coalition) partners to develop and implement broad-based public and private sector collaborative programs to reduce HFC emissions by building awareness, training and implementation guidance for proper management, servicing and refrigerant end-of-life practices.
AHRI president Stephen Yurek said environmental stewardship is a hallmark of the HVACR industry. “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.
HFCs are currently being phased out although HFCs only comprise about one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, unabated, HFCs are expected to increase to greater than 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
