World Ozone Day is held on September 16 to commemorate the anniversary as well as achievements of the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed on September 16, 1987, to protect the ozone layer by limiting the production and use of ozone-depleting substances. Hailed as the most successful […]
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has launched a new guidance document to support domestic and commercial refrigeration manufacturers seeking to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Funded by the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP) and supported by International Copper Association (ICA), the study is intended to help manufacturers understand net benefits […]
China has proposed a national plan to deal with hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The plan recommends adjusting the existing regulations dealing with Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) to cover HFCs, and to strengthen monitoring and enforcement of existing measures. It also proposes adding HFCs to existing regulations consistent with implementation of the Kigali Amendment, including a quota system […]
A new report in Nature Communications has highlighted a large and unexpected increase in emissions of HFC23 – a hydrofluorocarbon with extremely high global warming potential that is mainly produced as an unwanted by-product during the manufacture of R22. R22 is a hydrochorofluorocarbon (HCFC) that destroys the ozone layer, and it is being phased out […]
A new report from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has revealed the startling extent of Europe’s illegal HFC activity. The report, Doors Wide Open, is the result of surveys conducted in late 2018 with EU member states and key industry stakeholders. “Reports from industry indicate that large-scale illegal HFC trade and use is occurring in […]
The fifth episode of AIRAH on Air, AIRAH’s regular podcast series, explores the HFC phase-down. The phase-down is a worldwide initiative designed to mitigate climate change by reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) – synthetic gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration that can be thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide in terms of global warming. […]
In October 2016, New Zealand, Australia and almost 200 other countries adopted the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down HFCs. Australia started reducing HFC import quotas at the beginning of 2018, and now New Zealand is looking at 2020 to begin the same process. The New Zealand cabinet recently agreed to ratify […]