What do we want
In Mexico, climate leaders have to reach a truly global deal in which all countries take on their fair share of the effort needed to prevent dangerous climate change.
The world needs to reduce global emissions by at least 80% by 2050 if we are to have a chance of keeping global warming below the threshold at which - according to the scientific evidence - we risk irreversible and possibly catastrophic global changes.
That threshold is just 2° Celsius above the pre-industrial temperature, or only 1.2° Celsius above today's level.
With regards to the future use of F-gases policy makers need to make an historic choice: to continue with a business-as-usual scenario or to enact an HFC phase-out as a means to stabilise climate change.
BeyondHFCs is a strong advocate of a phase out scenario for a quick uptake of HFC-free solutions.
BeyondHFCs calls for an international HFC phase-out arrangement of F-gases at the UN climate conference gathering in Mexico in at least the same time frame as HCFCs.
BeyondHFCs supports a ban of HFC production and consumption by 2020 worldwide with transitional arrangements for developing countries on a case-by-case basis.
Chemical manufacturers have been investigating the potential for HFOs - hydrofluoro-olefins - (still HFCs) for use in vehicle air conditioning systems. The so-called 4th generation gases meet EU rules that require GWPs lower than 150.
However, Lower Global Warming Potential chemical refrigerants need to be phased out too: they might offer short-term "cooling" but they certainly commit the planet to long-term warming. Their GWP advantage is compromised by less efficiency and thus, higher indirect emissions.
HFOs also have serious toxicity implications for users exposed to leaks in the presence of heat and there are many unanswered questions about environmental toxicology impacts.
In the meantime, containment policies for F-gases need to be pursued with great diligence in order to minimise leakages of installations and devices using HFCs, pending their complete phase out.
Containment policies have been a failure because containment is practically impossible to achieveand good industry practices are virtually unenforceable in the vast majority of countries.
The data provided by industry confirms this: a chemical industry website called Alternative Flurocarbons Environmental Acceptability Study (www.afeas.org) which compiles and presents F-gas data provided by companies, shows that 81% of the main F-gas currently in use today (R-22) has already been released into the atmosphere. 59% of HFC 134a, the main HFC on the market today, has already been released into the atmosphere. These calculations are all the more alarming, taking into account the number of producers not covered by this study and data collection....
BeyondHFCs therefore wishes that policies worldwide promote the use of natural refrigerants which are safe, energy efficient and sustainable and endorse phase-out dates for HFCs in refrigeration and air-conditioning. These gases need to be eliminated—not just ‘contained’.
Finally, BeyondHFCs is arguing for the uptake of natural refrigerants in all applications and urges both industry and policy makers to facilitate this.
Carbon dioxide (CO2 can be used as a refrigerant) has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 1.This is a negligible direct global warming potential when used as a refrigerant in closed cycles, whereas the F-gases currently popular on the market have a GWP in the thousands. In addition,
Carbon dioxide has no Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP=0).
Ammonia has both no Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP = 0) and no Global Warming Potential (GWP=0).
It is considered a natural refrigerant because although produced synthetically for refrigeration, it occurs in nature’s material cycles. Ammonia is used widely and safely around the world in large-scale industrial cooling systems such as food processing and building air conditioning and increasingly in smaller charge systems.
Hydrocarbons are energy efficient. A study by the University of New South Wales indicates that hydrocarbon automobile air-conditioners are almost 35% more efficient than HFC air conditioners.
Certain hydrocarbon blends show an increase in energy efficiency of up to 17% in MAC compared to R-134a.
Thousands of cars had been converted in Australia and North America from HFCs to hydrocarbons.
As a natural refrigerant, hydrocarbons do not face legislative risks brought on by environmental concerns (GWP ≈ 3, Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) = 0).
Like 1234yf, hydrocarbons are flammable. A noteworthy aspect of using propane is its availability; it is used universally for heating and cooking. As a result, its safe handling is widely understood and practiced.
A host of standards (both national and international) prescribe design and construction features for hydrocarbons. Moreover, the fact that 300 million hydrocarbon domestic refrigerators over 15 years have produced no accidents demonstrates that hydrocarbons can be handled safely.
Finally, hydrocarbons operate at lower pressure, reducing wear and tear and improving system durability and are much cleaner and less expensive to produce than R-134a.
The world needs to reduce global emissions by at least 80% by 2050 if we are to have a chance of keeping global warming below the threshold at which - according to the scientific evidence - we risk irreversible and possibly catastrophic global changes.
That threshold is just 2° Celsius above the pre-industrial temperature, or only 1.2° Celsius above today's level.
With regards to the future use of F-gases policy makers need to make an historic choice: to continue with a business-as-usual scenario or to enact an HFC phase-out as a means to stabilise climate change.
BeyondHFCs is a strong advocate of a phase out scenario for a quick uptake of HFC-free solutions.
BeyondHFCs calls for an international HFC phase-out arrangement of F-gases at the UN climate conference gathering in Mexico in at least the same time frame as HCFCs.
BeyondHFCs supports a ban of HFC production and consumption by 2020 worldwide with transitional arrangements for developing countries on a case-by-case basis.
Chemical manufacturers have been investigating the potential for HFOs - hydrofluoro-olefins - (still HFCs) for use in vehicle air conditioning systems. The so-called 4th generation gases meet EU rules that require GWPs lower than 150.
However, Lower Global Warming Potential chemical refrigerants need to be phased out too: they might offer short-term "cooling" but they certainly commit the planet to long-term warming. Their GWP advantage is compromised by less efficiency and thus, higher indirect emissions.
HFOs also have serious toxicity implications for users exposed to leaks in the presence of heat and there are many unanswered questions about environmental toxicology impacts.
In the meantime, containment policies for F-gases need to be pursued with great diligence in order to minimise leakages of installations and devices using HFCs, pending their complete phase out.
Containment policies have been a failure because containment is practically impossible to achieveand good industry practices are virtually unenforceable in the vast majority of countries.
The data provided by industry confirms this: a chemical industry website called Alternative Flurocarbons Environmental Acceptability Study (www.afeas.org) which compiles and presents F-gas data provided by companies, shows that 81% of the main F-gas currently in use today (R-22) has already been released into the atmosphere. 59% of HFC 134a, the main HFC on the market today, has already been released into the atmosphere. These calculations are all the more alarming, taking into account the number of producers not covered by this study and data collection....
BeyondHFCs therefore wishes that policies worldwide promote the use of natural refrigerants which are safe, energy efficient and sustainable and endorse phase-out dates for HFCs in refrigeration and air-conditioning. These gases need to be eliminated—not just ‘contained’.
Finally, BeyondHFCs is arguing for the uptake of natural refrigerants in all applications and urges both industry and policy makers to facilitate this.
Carbon dioxide (CO2 can be used as a refrigerant) has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 1.This is a negligible direct global warming potential when used as a refrigerant in closed cycles, whereas the F-gases currently popular on the market have a GWP in the thousands. In addition,
Carbon dioxide has no Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP=0).
Ammonia has both no Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP = 0) and no Global Warming Potential (GWP=0).
It is considered a natural refrigerant because although produced synthetically for refrigeration, it occurs in nature’s material cycles. Ammonia is used widely and safely around the world in large-scale industrial cooling systems such as food processing and building air conditioning and increasingly in smaller charge systems.
Hydrocarbons are energy efficient. A study by the University of New South Wales indicates that hydrocarbon automobile air-conditioners are almost 35% more efficient than HFC air conditioners.
Certain hydrocarbon blends show an increase in energy efficiency of up to 17% in MAC compared to R-134a.
Thousands of cars had been converted in Australia and North America from HFCs to hydrocarbons.
As a natural refrigerant, hydrocarbons do not face legislative risks brought on by environmental concerns (GWP ≈ 3, Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) = 0).
Like 1234yf, hydrocarbons are flammable. A noteworthy aspect of using propane is its availability; it is used universally for heating and cooking. As a result, its safe handling is widely understood and practiced.
A host of standards (both national and international) prescribe design and construction features for hydrocarbons. Moreover, the fact that 300 million hydrocarbon domestic refrigerators over 15 years have produced no accidents demonstrates that hydrocarbons can be handled safely.
Finally, hydrocarbons operate at lower pressure, reducing wear and tear and improving system durability and are much cleaner and less expensive to produce than R-134a.
