ACRIB’s anger at being “frozen out” of debate

ACRIB chairman David Snow has slammed the DETR for claiming that “hydrofluorocarbons have no long-term future”. The terse response came in the wake of the DETR consultation documents UK climate change: draft UK programme and UK climate change programme – a consultation paper, issued on 9 March.

Carbon emissions form a major component of the UK’s total output of greenhouse gases, and while hydrofluorocarbons (hfcs) such as R134a do not deplete ozone, they have a high global warming potential.

  “HFCs are not a sustainable technology in the long-term,” said the DETR. “For the meantime, they should only be used where there are no safe, cost-effective, practical and environmentally acceptable alternatives.”

In response, ACRIB has accused the Government of a “doctrinaire policy shift”, of wanting to “see off hfcs”, and of “kicking the industry in the face”. It also accused the Government of “taking up an ideological position on hfcs, rather than one which has a sound scientific or technical basis”.

HFC emissions are anticipated by the DETR to increase between 1990 and 2010 as hfcs are used as replacements for ozone depleting substances. “Although hfcs are necessary in some applications to meet Montreal Protocol commitments, the Government is concerned that emissions from these sources will grow, and that action should be taken to limit that growth,” said the DETR.

The ACRIB claims that Ministers are refusing to meet the refrigeration industry for discussions. “We seem to be frozen out,” said David Snow, “Despite determined efforts to talk to the Environment Minister, we’re being ignored.”

The Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) has also taken up cudgels against the DETR. Speaking at the annual luncheon, HEVAC President Ron Jubb called the proposed Climate Change Levy “a threat to the industry” and told the department that “common sense and consistency of policy” was clearly not on their agenda.

“The DETR has said, ‘hard luck and get on with it’,” Jubb told FETA members. “[It is saying] we have shut the door, now find your way out.”

The construction and refrigeration industries have until 2 June to respond formally to the DETR’s climate change consultation paper Climate change: draft UK programme, and to the 9 June to respond to the UK climate change programme – a consultation paper.

 The Carrier Corporation, one of the world’s largest users of refrigerants for air conditioning equipment, believes that a plan by Denmark to phase out hfcs for air conditioning and refrigeration applications “does less to reduce the emission of global warming gases than…other measures”.

In a letter to the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, Carrier has proposed mandatory hfc recovery and recycling, technician and installer training, commercial air conditioning and refrigeration service contracts to ensure proper maintenance and minimal leaks, plus voluntary energy efficiency standards and labelling for commercial air conditioning products.

“HFCs are optimal choices for many applications and can produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the alternatives,” said Carrier. “The diversity of choice is important and will lead to the most beneficial overall outcome for society.”