Australians have known it for years, but it has taken San Francisco based environmental consultancy EOS Climate to alert the rest of the world that refrigerant reclamation and recycling is an important strategy for reducing the impact of high global warming potential gases on Earth’s atmosphere. “With relatively small changes in practices and little if … Continue reading US report highlights importance of refrigerant recycling
In 2013, MACS (the US-based Mobile Air Conditioning Society) conducted a field survey to profile the work being done and the vehicles serviced by independent service facilities within their membership. This survey has been repeated over a number of years, during which time the survey data has been expanded. As part of the close ties … Continue reading NZ Automotive AC field survey, summer 2014-2015: Part 1
The July 2015 Open-Ended Working Group (OWEG) of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol meeting in Paris came agonisingly close to setting the mandate to commence negotiations for a global phase-down of HFCs like R134a under the Montreal Protocol. Proceedings were adjourned as time ran out in the French capital, meaning the talks are likely … Continue reading World edges closer to HFC phase-down
Although the impending closure of Ford, Holden and Toyota manufacturing in Australia gets the headlines, the almost 2800 businesses from across the automotive spectrum closed in the 2012/2013 financial year. Among them were 765 mechanical repair and maintenance businesses, 630 paint, panel and interior repair businesses, 173 new parts wholesalers, 55 parts manufacturers and 13 … Continue reading Consolidation of automotive repair industry continues
Australia’s automotive skills shortage has shrunk from almost 22,000 unfilled jobs in 2013 to 16,359 in 2014, according to the 2015 Automotive Environmental Scan report from Auto Skills Australia (ASA). The report also says 40.6 per cent of 500 survey respondents were experiencing a skills shortage, eight per cent down on 2013 and the lowest … Continue reading Skills shortage shrinks but fewer businesses hire apprentices
There may be media-fuelled public resistance to R1234yf history in Germany – not to mention the refusal by Mercedes-Benz to adopt it and Volkswagen Group’s commitment to CO2 as a refrigerant – but government figures reveal that there are already half a million cars on German roads with the new gas coursing through their air … Continue reading 500,000 cars using R1234yf in Germany
On August 24, 2015, the deadline elapsed for expressions of interest to form the Skills Service Organisations (SSO) that will replace Industry Skills Councils (ISC) such as Auto Skills Australia (ASA) under the Abbott Government’s vocational education and training (VET) reforms. Regardless of the outcome of the tender process that will create a set of … Continue reading VET reform gathers momentum as contestable model kicks in
Consumer psychology has always been of interest to me. One of the earliest books to grab my attention was The Customer by Bob Ansett of Budget Car Rental fame. Bob understood early is his business career that there was more to building a relationship with customers than simply facilitating the exchange of money for goods … Continue reading The 76º Rule
Focus on ‘regulatory impost’ rather than rife lawbreaking Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Anthony Lynham has requested the Petroleum and Gas Inspectorate to set up a working group that will review the regulation of hydrocarbon refrigerants and find ways of “reducing the regulatory impost of compliance without compromising safety”. Minister Lynham wants the … Continue reading Spotlight on Queensland hydrocarbon refrigerant regulations
Ozone-depleting substance phaseout in Oz ahead of developed world Australia has taken a kicking for environmental performance lately, with stalled investment in renewable energy and climate change policy labelled as embarrassing, but this country should at least be proud of its performance when it comes to meeting its obligations under the Montreal Protocol. What’s more, … Continue reading Australia kicking Montreal Protocol goals
