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International regulations
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and came into force in 1994. It is part of one of the three so-called "Rio Conventions". In 2015, it had been ratified by 195 countries. It is based on three main principles: the precautionary principle, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and the principle of the right to development. The Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement are derived from this Convention.
Main objectives: combat against global warming, reduce greenhouse gases (GHG).
Convention website: unfccc.int
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change website: IPCC
Kyoto Protocol (Japan, 1997)
Paris Agreement
Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
The Vienna Convention was adopted in 1985 and entered into force in 1985. In 2009, it became the first Convention to have been universally ratified. It offers a framework, completed by the Montreal Protocol, that imposes binding rules for the parties involved, which should reduce or phase out the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODS). The Kigali Amendment was introduced to complement the Montreal Protocol in 2016 and specifically targets "hydrofluorocarbon" (HFC) type refrigerants. HFCs are not ODS but greenhouse gases, and were already covered by the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol.
Main objectives: protect the ozone layer, reduce the consumption and production of ozone depleting substances, contribute to the fight against global warming (Kigali Amendment).
Website of the United Nations Treaty Collection: UNTC
UN Environment website: unenvironment.org
Montreal Protocol on Substances
that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Canada, 1987)
Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (Rwanda, 2016)
International agreements on the carriage of perishable foodstuffs
Carriage of dangerous goods by road (ADR)
European regulations
Fluorinated gases
Regulation (EU) 2024/573
The European Regulation 2024/573 came into force in March 2024: it applies in all EU member states. Its objective is to enable the application of two international protocols: the Kyoto Protocol and the Montreal Protocol, which aim to limit global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer.
This European regulation, commonly known as "F-Gas", allows more specifically to respect the Kigali Amendment which aims at progressively decreasing the production and use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), mainly used in refrigeration systems (air conditioning, transport and cold storage, domestic refrigeration, etc.).
The AFCE's vade-mecum, related to the update of the initial regulation on fluorinated gases (known as "F-Gas") dated 20 February 2024, and applicable from 11 March 2024, highlights the provisions specific to the Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Heat Pump sectors. This document outlines and summarises the key points intended for equipment operators and owners.
Ozone layer and climate change
European Regulation no 1005/2009 concerning substances that deplete the ozone layer
European Regulation no 525/2013 on a mecanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions [...]
European Standard EN 378: Refrigerating systems & heat pumps - Safety & environmental requirements
National regulations
American Standard ANSI/ASHRAE 34: Designation and Safety Classification of Refrigerants
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