ARLINGTON, Va. — The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) completed an Exchange of Letters on July 23 at a side event during the Montreal Protocol Open Ended Working Group meeting in Paris. The agreement includes the development of a global qualification program for refrigerant supply chain networks titled “refrigerant driving license” (RDL), which aims to ensure the sound and safe management of refrigerants.

“Working with UNEP and developing the RDL is one very important aspect of the industry’s focus on ensuring the proper, safe, and environmentally sound management of refrigerants,” said Stephen Yurek, president and CEO, AHRI. “AHRI’s relationship with UNEP will provide an excellent platform for working with other associations and institutes, creating a global network to support the safe handling of refrigerants.”

The agreement will support the accelerated global transition to new refrigerants brought on by the Montreal Protocol’s ozone layer protection targets by addressing challenges in soundly and safely managing refrigerants. It will also complement existing programs to upgrade the skills and knowledge of field specialists as new technologies become available.

Publication date: 8/10/2015 

Want more HVAC industry news and information? Join The NEWS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn today!