News

Impacts of clampdown on F-gases outlined at A-Gas and IOR briefing

In a briefing held in Bristol, jointly hosted by A-Gas and the Institute of Refrigeration (IOR), the hot topic was Low global warming potential (GWR) refrigerants

In recent article published on GasWorld.com, It states, that the amount of F-gases allowed onto the European market has and will continue to be significantly reduced – decreasing 79% in total by the year 2030. F-Gas (fluorinated gases, refrigerant) regulations will dramatically impact the European A/C & Refrigeration market. This information also provides insight into the challenges that the US consumer will face if the US adopts similar reductions in HFC refrigerants.

A-Gas Managing Director, John Ormerod, stated, “The F-gas Regulations are changing how we work in the industry and the introduction of low GWP refrigerants are at the heart of this. The challenges ahead are significant and it’s going to have a big impact in the next few years.”

He further states, “The industry has to move a long way down the GWP curve to stay ahead of the F-gas phase out.”

Ormerod outlined that the amount of F-gases allowed in the European market next year will decrease by 20%. Following that in 2018, Ormerod declares a “big shock” will take place, whereby a 27% cutback will affect imports.

For more information, you can read the full article here.

Update On HFC Related Bills In California and Kentucky

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The HFC Related Bills have had some updates that you may want to be aware of.

California’s State Senate Bill 1383:

This bill would require that the state of California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) Reduction Strategy, in development by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), to be implemented by January 1, 2018.

At the April 6 Committee on Environmental Quality hearing, much of the discussion focused on the methane component of the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) Reduction Strategy. In a 4 to 2 vote, the bill was amended and passed.

The bill is currently under consideration by the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality.

To monitor the status of the Senet Bill 1383, plesase click this link =>  http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB1383

Kentucky’s HB 104:

This legislation would restrict Kentucky’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, specified to include those from HFCs, without a statutory mandate from Congress or that state’s legislature.

After being referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment back in January, it appears that nothing further has occurred with this bill.  The Kentucky General Assembly has relatively short legislative sessions – 60 legislative days in an even-numbered year such as 2016, which cannot extend beyond April 15.  It will need to be reintroduced in the next legislative session, in 2017, in order to be considered again.

To monitor the status of HB 104 plesase click this link => http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/16RS/HB104.htm

 

Climate Science Reports

Climate Changes has been big news – Here we have two articles from the Washington Post on Climate Science Reports.

These articles as well as other news pieces, puts us in remembrance of the mid-1980s when the science on the ozone depletion issue changed dramatically, first in 1985 when the scientists added actual CFC growth rates to the models instead of steady state emissions, and second,  in 1987 with the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole.

The reason for the need to monitor these latest reports is that scientific pronouncements of “worse than projected” scenarios may ultimately become drivers in the policy world.  This could have a direct impact on the HFC discussions if the resulting effect is to seek more aggressive measures more quickly.  Because of their inclusion in the short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) category, these compounds have a shorter atmospheric lifetime and therefore produce a larger relative near-term benefit from emission reduction efforts.

 

Read Washington Post’s Article here;

We had all better hope these scientists are wrong about the planet’s future – 3/22/16

Scientists say Antarctic melting could double sea level rise. Here’s what that looks like. – 3/31/16