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Declaration of
Intent on the Use of HFC's
Early in 1997 the Air Conditioning
and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) signed a Declaration
of Intent on the Use of HFCs with the UK Government. This document
has been developed with the UK Government to help fulfil its commitment
contained in the UN Framework on Climate Change. The Declaration
represents the response of the air conditioning and refrigeration
industry to this challenge.
As a member organisation of
ACRIB, the Institute of Refrigeration was involved in all the
negotiations leading up to the final document and has signed the
declaration together with all other member organisations of ACRIB.
Air conditioning & Refrigeration
Industry declaration of Intent on the use of HFC's
PREAMBLE
"CIimate Change - The
UK Programme" published by the Government in January 1994,
sets out to fulfil the commitments contained in the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change. It outlines measures aimed at returning
emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by the year 2000.
The most notable of these are CO2, methane and nitrous oxide,
but reference is also made to other gases including hydrofluorocarbons
(HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs) because of their high global
warming potentials. These gases are being commercialised as replacements
for ozone depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).
The UK Government agrees with
industry that HFCs are considered essential alternatives to CFCs
and HCFCs in certain applications. Therefore, a stated aim of
the Programme is that any actions taken to reduce HFC emissions
should not damage current efforts to pnase out ozone depleting
substances as quickly as possible.
The UK Government confirms
that there is no plan to ban the production or use of HFCs to
meet its early commitments. For the period after 2000, the latest
meeting of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate
Change agreed to develop a protocol by 1997 to control greenhouse
gas emissions by developed countries. The stated aim is "to
elaborate policies and measures as well as to set quantified limitation
and reduction objectives within specified time-frames, such as
2005, 2010 and 2020, for their anthropogenic emissions by sources
and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases not controlled by the
Montreal Protocol." How HFCs will be treated in this international
context is not yet known.
The Climate Change Programme
commits the UK Government to explore with HFC producers and consumers
the scope for agreements to ensure that, " where HFCs are
used, emissions are minimised, and that HFCs are not used where
emissions are unavoidable if safe, practical and more environmentally
acceptable alternatives are available". This Declaration
represents the response ofthe air conditioning and refrigeration
industry to this challenge.
THE DECLARATION
Recognising that HFCs have
an essential role in replacing CFCs and HCFCs as refrigerants;
Recognising that emissions
of HFCs to atmosphere are considered to have the potential to
damage the environment by contributing to the accumulation of
greenhouse gases;
Recognising that the global
warming potential of a refrigeration system comprises both a direct
effect from the emission of greenhouse gas refrigerants and an
indirect effect from energy consumption and limiting greenhouse
gas emissions requires that both these effects be considered;
Recognising that careful and
responsible use of all refrigerants, including existing product
stewardship measures benefits both the user and the environment;
the UK air conditioning and
refrigeration industry together with the users of air conditioning
and refrigeration equipment in all its applications hereby declares
its intention to contribute to the UK Climate Change Programme
by:
a) encouraging the manufacture,
installation, commissioning, operation, service and decommissioning
of refrigeration systems to the highest professional standards
including the approved guidelines in the Institute of Refngeration
Code of Practice for Minimising Refrigerant Emissions
b) encouraging the design,
installation and operation of refrigeration systems in a manner
which promotes the efficient use of energy
c) encouraging all reasonably
practicable precautionary measures to minimise refrigerant leakage,
and recommending that refrigerants are recovered for reuse, reclamation
or disposal during servicing and prior to equipment decommissioning.
d) discouraging the use of
HFCs for any application where a risk of high emissions exists,
by promoting the use of safe, reasonably practical, environmentally
acceptable and energy efficient alternatives, where available.
(For the purposes of this
declaration, high emissions are those in excess of 10% loss of
initial charge annually from service and/or breakdown of any refrigeration
system)
e) encouraging the practice
of maintaining a log detailing the quantity of refrigerant used
in and extracted from refrigerating systems and equipment with
a total charge exceeding 50 Kg.
f) recommending that design,
installation, commissioning, servicing, maintenance and decommissioning
are carried out only by competent persons and that refrigerant
handling is restricted to those with a current registration of
competence.
g) assisting the Government
in obtaining regular information on the use and emissions of HFC's
The Government and industry
undertake to meet annually to review the effectiveness of the
Declaration and actions resulting from it.
Signed on behalf of the UK
air conditioning and refrigeration industry and users by the Air
Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board*.
*ACRIB includes:
Corby
Refrigeration, Gordon House, Dale Street, Corby, Northamptonshire,
NN17 2BQ UK
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