http://www.beyondhfcs.org http://www.beyondhfcs.org/images/main/beyondhfcs-logo-2.png 70 70 http://www.beyondhfcs.org/rss.php RSS News Feed en-gb Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:44:27 +0100 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:44:27 +0100 http://www.beyondhfcs.org/ info@beyondhfcs.org (Beyond HFCs Info) webmaster@beyondhfcs.org (Alex Aleksanyan) http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=174/article.view.php?Id=174Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Feb. 26 (Reuters) - A World Environment Organization, similar to the World Trade Organization, could be formed as part of environmental governance reform, a meeting of environment ministers decided on Friday.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=175/article.view.php?Id=175Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100TOKYO, March 1 (Kyodo)—Climate negotiators from about 30 countries and international organizations began exploring ways in a two-day informal meeting from Monday in Tokyo to advance talks to craft a new global framework to combat climate change beyond 2012.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=173/article.view.php?Id=173Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100A new study by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan highlights the risk of aquatic ecotoxicity development that the wide adoption of new chemical refrigerant HFO-1234yf could entail.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=171/article.view.php?Id=171Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100Los nuevos estudios conducidos por el Instituto Federal Alemán de Investigación y Pruebas de Materiales (BAM) confirman que el refrigerante HFO-1234yf, indicado por la industria química como un sustituto de los refrigerantes HFC en sistemas de climatización, es peligroso.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=172/article.view.php?Id=172Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100On 22 February 2010, more than one hundred forty governments will meet in Bali to strengthen ties between the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, the world's three leading treaties promoting the sound management of hazardous chemicals and wastes. http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=170/article.view.php?Id=170Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100The Maldives have announced to phase out HCFCs by 2020. An initiative in line with the island nation’s endeavour to become the first carbon neutral country.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=169/article.view.php?Id=169Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100The Automotive Recyclers Association expressed concerns regarding the refrigerant HFO-1234yf intended for use in automobile air conditioning after the U.S. EPA announced the second extension of the consultation period for the 1234yf SNAP (Significant New Alternatives) approval.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=168/article.view.php?Id=168Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100A recently published study shows that HFC-23 controlled by the Kyoto Protocol still grows strongly. This fuels the argument that Kyoto is a failure and strengthens the need to phase-out HFCs under the Montreal Protocol.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=167/article.view.php?Id=167Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100With the rancour of the failed Copenhagen climate talks still fresh, the election of Scott Brown leaving President Obama without a super-majority in the Senate and doubts over the reputation of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the chances of a global climate deal look further away than ever. The Guardian asked 39 politicians, climate negotiators, scientists and representatives of NGOs whether they thought a global deal was likely in 2010. Many would not speak on the record, but this is what the rest had to say. http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=164/article.view.php?Id=164Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100Last month the 15th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP15) closed by announcing the Copenhagen Accord drawn up by major participating countries. Although the process produced some positive results — such as calls for steps to hold the global temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius and to streamline the mechanism for funding developing nations — agreement on a new framework to succeed the Kyoto Protocol was put off. Signatories were asked to work for a new strategy formulation.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=165/article.view.php?Id=165Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100The Copenhagen accord required industrialised countries and rapidly emerging economies like India and China to formally notify their plans to act on carbon emissions by 31 January. Few nations were able to suggest deep emissions cuts in response to the climate change emergency, thus raising concerns with the UN experts.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=166/article.view.php?Id=166Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100The Voluntary Carbon Standard Association (VCSA) announced today that the scope of the VCS Program has been extended to include ozone‐ depleting substances (ODS).http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=162/article.view.php?Id=162Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100The newly published EIA report ranks retailers by their progress toward natural refrigerants. Waitrose topped the EIA ranking, followed by Tesco and Marks and Spencer. The EIA concludes that the improvement potential of refrigerants outweighs the benefits of carbon savings from cutting back on plastic bags.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=163/article.view.php?Id=163Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100DAVOS, Switzerland, January 30, 2010 - The head of the International Monetary Fund today proposed to create a multi-billion dollar Green Fund that would provide the financing that countries need to cope with climate change and move to a low-carbon growth model.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=161/article.view.php?Id=161Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting award nominations by March 1, 2010, for individuals, teams and organizations that have made significant contributions to ozone layer protection.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=159/article.view.php?Id=159Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100Accra, Jan. 22, GNA - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday informed the public of a ban on the importation of ozone depleting chemical substances into the country from January 1, 2010.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=160/article.view.php?Id=160Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100New Delhi, Jan 24 : India, China, Brazil and South Africa Sunday announced their support to the Copenhagen Accord to combat climate change but emphasised it was a political rather than a legal agreement, which must feed into a legally binding global accord negotiated by all countries.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=158/article.view.php?Id=158Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100The "green economy" will be at the heart of the EU's new industrial policy, according to Antonio Tajani, who has been nominated to the position of European commissioner for industry and entrepreneurship. Tajani will prioritise tourism, innovation and access to finance for SMEs in a bid to kick-start growth.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=156/article.view.php?Id=156Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100America's top climate change envoy, Todd Stern said that the next few weeks would be decisive in determining whether the Copenhagen accord will become an effective agreement on climate change.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=157/article.view.php?Id=157Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100The Spanish EU presidency hosted an informal climate and energy Council of ministers in Seville last week end. Discussions focused on possible ways to kick-start economic recovery. Energy efficiency and renewable energies are seen as focal areas to encourage recovery in the EU.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=155/article.view.php?Id=155Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100European energy and environment ministers meeting in Seville, Spain this weekend are expected to call on the EU to implement the Copenhagen Accord and urge other countries to follow suit, according to reports.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=153/article.view.php?Id=153Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +01002009 was a busy year for the environment. From the 2009 "International Year of Gorilla" to the "Seal the Deal!" campaign for the Copenhagen Climate Meeting in December, here is a brief overview of some of UNEP's activities over the last 12 months.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=154/article.view.php?Id=154Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100As of July 1, 2010, it will be an offense in Australia to import most air conditioning equipment pre- charged with HCFC refrigerant.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=149/article.view.php?Id=149Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100The US is revising safety of chemicals legislation.  The US competent body is also taking action to limit the effects of ground-level ozone, whose formation is suspected to be accelerated by the latest generation of HFCs.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=152/article.view.php?Id=152Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100Disappointed with the deal struck in Copenhagen, the EU will have to decide quickly whether to continue its climate-change policy of leading by example, or to take a tougher approach.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=145/article.view.php?Id=145Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100The US EPA has awarded close to half a million dollars in grants aimed at projects that prevent pollution in New Jersey and New York. Buffalo State will work with the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning to train student interns who will provide technical assistance to 15 local hotels in the areas of heating, and cooling buildings, landscaping and transportation.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=151/article.view.php?Id=151Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100Secretary Chu announced today that the Department of Energy is launching Open Energy Information (www.openEI.org) - a new open-source web platform that will make DOE resources and open energy data widely available to the public.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=144/article.view.php?Id=144Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100As the first day of 2010 dawns, the world is waking up to a new reality, one springing from an unparalleled confidence in human ingenuity and a collective belief that "we can".

http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=142/article.view.php?Id=142Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100Learn more and Nominate an Ozone Layer Protection Champion by visiting this website.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=143/article.view.php?Id=143Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100COPENHAGEN, Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As Ministers meet in Copenhagen desperately seeking to find a set of meaningful mitigation actions, negotiators have provided the ray of hope in the form of a draft agreement to work with the Montreal Protocol to eliminate a group of greenhouse gases called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=141/article.view.php?Id=141Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - U.N. climate talks have made progress at the half-way mark but many of the toughest issues such as greenhouse gas emissions targets for 2020 are deadlocked, delegates said on Saturday.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=140/article.view.php?Id=140Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100California has adopted the first regulation in the U.S. to reduce refrigerant gas emissions from commercial and industrial refrigeration systems using synthetic refrigerants.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=139/article.view.php?Id=139Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:37:30 +0100WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday declared greenhouse gases a danger to public health and welfare in a decision that could soon lead to new emissions regulations for businesses across the economy.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=137/article.view.php?Id=137Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100The Coca-Cola Company takes the lead in the commercial HFC-free refrigeration by investing into natural refrigerants. The company commits to having new cooling equipment 100% HFC-free by 2015.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=138/article.view.php?Id=138Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100December's UN climate summit in Copenhagen could deliver both a second series of commitments under the Kyoto protocol and a new, overarching global climate agreement that includes the US, according to the UN's climate unit.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=136/article.view.php?Id=136Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100The German Federal Institute of Statistics (Destatis) has revealed a 3.4% annual rise of F-gases for 2008. This was attributed to an overall increase in the use of harmful substances in air conditioning. R134a in stationary, but more importantly in Mobile Air Conditioning was responsible for the largest share.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=135/article.view.php?Id=135Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100Latest figures, published on 23 November 2009 in the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) 2008 Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, confirm the continued trend of rising atmospheric burdens of greenhouse gases since 1750. Concentrations of gases such as HCFCs and HFCs, used to substitute chlorofluorocarbons, are also increasing rapidly. These two classes of compounds together with sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) contributed 8.9% to the increase in radiative forcing from 2003 to 2008.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=134/article.view.php?Id=134Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100At least 65 world leaders have agreed to attend the Copenhagen summit on climate change in December, raising the stakes on a deal being reached and lending “critical mass” to the meeting, according to senior officialshttp://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=133/article.view.php?Id=133Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100A new Greenpeace video explains how HFCs used to cool our drinks, cars and buildings pose a growing threat to the climate. A petition joined to the video calls for a phase out of HFCs by 2020. BeyondHFCs welcomes the initiative and invites its readers to sign the petition.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=132/article.view.php?Id=132Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100Researchers from Purdue University and NASA have confirmed that substances containing fluorine like HFCs are the most powerful global warming agents. The study also warns against their powerful cumulative climate impact over time. BeyondHFCs welcomes the findings of the study and calls upon policy makers to take it into account and face up to the urgency of moving to fluorine-free solutions.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=131/article.view.php?Id=131Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday adopted a common policy to "make the world live up to its historic responsibility" at December’s UN climate conference in Copenhagen.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=130/article.view.php?Id=130Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100The historic goodwill of the Montreal Protocol to regulate swiftly and smoothly potent global warming gases in addition to ozone depleters was left unexploited by the Parties at their annual meeting in Egypt last week. The veto was brought up by developing countries, which opposed an amendment to regulate hydrofluorocarbons under the Protocol as suggested by a coalition of developed countries. In the meantime, TEAP has been requested to scrutinise the availability of alternative refrigerants.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=128/article.view.php?Id=128Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:42:57 +0100COUNTRIES NEED to take “immediate action” to prevent enormous banks of chemicals being released into the atmosphere, with damage equivalent to 20 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), according to a report published today.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=127/article.view.php?Id=127Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100In case we need more evidence that an urgent economic transformation is required to avoid catastrophic climate change, it can be found in a new study commissioned by World Wildlife Fund International.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=124/article.view.php?Id=124Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100Using the momentum around the ozone treaty meeting in Egypt this week, THENATURALVOICE side event aimed at explaining to policy makers that the refrigeration, heating and cooling industry using natural refrigerants has a role to play in the fight against climate change.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=125/article.view.php?Id=125Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100The new Greenpeace report Business as Usual describes "five maximum points of danger" in the House and Senate climate bills. One of these pools of potential offsets are hydrofluorocarbons.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=126/article.view.php?Id=126Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100The fight is on to replace ozone-damaging chemicals with safer replacements. Chemicals from air-conditioning units and refrigerators in daily use throughout Asia could tip the world into catastrophic climate change unless we change our ways soon, scientists say.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=129/article.view.php?Id=129Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100In the morning, delegates exchanged views on the proposals to amend the Montreal Protocol to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). During the afternoon, delegates discussed issues related to the Multilateral Fund (MLF), a proposal on institutional strengthening, and heard a presentation by the Technical and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) on destrhttp://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=123/article.view.php?Id=123Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100It has become increasingly clear that a fully-worked out climate treaty will not emerge from Copenhagen in December. However, one should not be surprised if the ozone treaty negotiators fulfill their own bid to slow global warming.http://www.beyondhfcs.org/article.view.php?Id=121/article.view.php?Id=121Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100This week's 21st Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol will bring together several industry initiatives confirming the timely opportunity to leapfrog climate burdening HFC refrigerants and the availability of cutting-edge non-fluorocarbon technologies to replace them.