HFC phasedown welcomed by Refrigerants Australia

The Abbott government will back a phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol and through domestic legislation as part of its commitment to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. The news has been welcomed by Refrigerants Australia, the organisation representing Australian refrigerant suppliers and users.

Refrigerants Australia was originally established in 1987 to formulate an industry response to the Montreal Protocol, which set out the need to phase out ozone-depleting substances. Its executive director, Dr Greg Picker, said the industry “actively supports a phasedown, which is designed to lower the global warming potential of refrigerants over time”.

The organisation has long contended that a phasedown in HFCs, along with other amendments to the Ozone Protection legislation, can deliver benefits including reduced costs to consumers, better performance of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, improved energy efficiency, emission reductions and industry long-term certainty.

“Refrigerants Australia estimates that revisions to Ozone Protection legislation can deliver emission reduction of up to the equivalent of 80 million tonnes of carbon dioxide between 2020 and 2030 based on the government’s own emissions estimates,” Dr Picker said.

Refrigerants Australia is currently working closely with the government on reviewing the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act.