The United States and China have made a joint commitment of mutual cooperation to phase down HFCs under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, following meetings in Shanghai between US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and China Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua. Among the world’s largest producers and consumers of HFCs, the two … Continue reading US, China get serious on HFCs
Talks start for real in Geneva after years of deadlock By Refrigerants Australia executive director Greg Picker, reporting from Switzerland Negotiations on an HFC phase-down began in Geneva in April this year. These talks are noteworthy because for the first time since the proposal to phase down HFCs was suggested in 2009, there was agreement … Continue reading HFC phase-down hope
IT’S official: A global HFC phasedown under the Montreal Protocol will be negotiated and could be agreed to as early as next year, now that the main objectors to forming an HFC contact group have softened their previously hard-line stance. The breakthrough was made in Dubai, on the eve of the 27th Meeting of the … Continue reading Global HFC phasedown progresses in Dubai
Despite independent safety study, DoE sees barriers to action In its Review of the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Programme options paper, the Australian Department of the Environment says that as a Commonwealth authority it does not consider itself to have responsibility for the safety aspects of its central position within the refrigeration and air … Continue reading Ozone review pays lip service to safety concerns
VASA was among the 13 industry organisations David Caple & Associates consulted with, in addition to 22 regulators, eight training organisations, 17 suppliers and service providers, one trade union, one insurance group and seven overseas advisors. Conclusions of the report are not as definitive as VASA or many others in the industry would have hoped, … Continue reading Recommendations of David Caple report find their way into the Ozone Review technical analysis
Rise in licensing and levy costs mooted, but no alternative refrigerant controls Despite the regulation of all refrigerants under the review of Australia’s Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management (OPSGGM) programme being unanimously desired by industry, the review options paper and supporting documents published by the Department of the Environment in October 2015 give … Continue reading Ozone review: Options paper falls short
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
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
There has been a lot of promising progress toward a global phase-down of HFCs under the Montreal Protocol in recent months, with just a couple of spanners in the works. Many are hopeful that an international agreement will be forged his year with the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol meeting … Continue reading Global HFC phase-down progress
