California’s Air Resources Board (ARB) has released a proposed strategy aimed at curbing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The proposal targets near term emission reductions that will help California meet its 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets.

The refrigerant recovery and reclamation sector is striving to keep up with the changes taking place in the world of refrigerants, which means it is constantly creating new products to seamlessly adapt to the latest batch of regulations and refrigerant phaseouts.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part two of a two-part series. The first part, "Tips for Surviving Refrigerant Transitions, Part 1," appeared in the Feb. 1, 2016, issue of The NEWS.

For HVAC refrigerants, the changes keep coming fast and furious at a time when the global demand continues to grow apace. Changes implemented via the EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program, combined with the continued phase out of R-22, will lead contractors to seek out opportunities to gain experience with the use of new low-GWP refrigerants.

The cyclical pattern of change in refrigerants is linked directly to our growing understanding of the unintended consequences of refrigerant interactions with our atmosphere, coupled with advancements in technology and shifts in societal values toward sustainability. One only needs to look at the evolution of refrigerants to see these trends at play.

Looking forward, the path is not entirely smooth for the Obama administration as it seeks to continue to advance its strong environmental agenda. 

Speaking at RAC’s Retail Question Time event, consultant Ray Gluckman, who worked closely with officials involved with the European Union (EU) F-gas regulation, said, “At the moment we don’t have enough end users, maintenance, or installation companies taking the necessary action to meet the targets set by the EU.”

A global HFC phase-down agreement is set to become a reality following historic negotiations by countries worldwide in November in Dubai, which could see a formal reduction strategy by the end of 2016.

The amendment, deemed the “Dubai Pathway,” is expected to be completed in 2016 and puts to rest an ongoing discussion regarding HFC usage that’s persisted among Montreal Protocol members for more than five years.