Paris Agreement signed and the OEWG37 makes headway

Anticipating the impact of the Paris Agreement and the OEWG37 on the refrigeration sector

International negotiations succeed: Paris Agreement signed

A record 175 countries signed the Paris Agreement on 22 April 2016 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, US.

Adopted during the Conference of Parties (COP21) held in November 2015 and signed on 22 April 2016 (see photo), the Paris Agreement provides an accepted common framework for all nations to implement ambitious national measures in order to reduce greenhouse gases emissions.

This event, which was part of the cycle of major UN conferences on climate change, is unprecedented on a number of levels and is a major first in the history of COPs.

The recognised support and marked political engagement across the globe, clearly illustrates the motivation and necessity to integrate and raise awareness of climate change in all spheres of activity.

The next COP is scheduled to take place in Marrakesh (Morocco) in November 2016.

Future consequences for refrigeration

With the agreement now signed it is apparent that there is a recognised common political objective to determining and implementing solid international measures and actions in regards to the phase-down of HFCs in all sectors including refrigeration, from how refrigeration equipment is designed or maintained, to the possible training or preparation of refrigeration technicians, in addition to measures potentially concerning the energy consumption of equipment.

The IIR at the OEWG37

The 37^th Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (OEWG37) took place on April 4-8, 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland, at which Jean-Luc Dupont, Head of the IIR Scientific and Technical Information Department (STID), represented the IIR.

In accordance with the adoption of the “Dubai pathway on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)”, discussions focused on the feasibility and ways of managing HFCs and on the process and schedule for moving forward to an HFC amendment to the Protocol at the 28^th Meeting of the Parties (MOP 28) to be held in October 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda.

Discussions make headway

Four amendment proposals were discussed (Canada, Mexico and the US, India, European Union, “Island States”). The meeting discussions addressed many issues related to HFCs, such as intellectual property rights, flexibility in implementation, as well as a mechanism for periodic review of alternatives and even exemptions, including a “compliance deferral” approach for countries with high ambient temperatures (HAT).

The drafted “compliance deferral” proposal procedure for high-ambient temperature (HAT) countries would mean that more than 30 countries located in Africa, the Middle East and some Asian countries would be eligible for a four-year exemption, which could be renewed if necessary.

Another meeting is scheduled to take place in Vienna, Austria, in July 2016 before the meeting in Kigali.

Consult the OEWG37 Pre-Session Documents