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In a webinar hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on 10 November, Bella Maranion from EPA presented federal sector leadership to reduce HFC emissions through procurement. Special focus was given to the ammonia/CO2 cascade system at a Texas Air Force Base commissary.
Under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) programme, the U.S. EPA works closely with government agencies, the military and standardisation organisations on the adoption of climate friendly refrigerant solutions. During the webinar, EPA Program Analyst Bella Maranion presented on-going actions of the federal government to procure environmentally friendly refrigerants.
Maranion raised concerns over the significant growth of HFC emissions, particularly in the refrigeration and air conditioning sectors. In 2010, federal agencies reported HFC emissions of nearly 2.2 million metric tons (MMT) CO2eq. Currently HFCs count for 1.5 per cent of all greenhouse emissions but they are expected to triple by 2030.
In response to these alarming figures, in June 2013 President Obama presented his Climate Action Plan to address HFC emissions. The plan included measures to foster federal leadership in this field by mandating that cleaner alternatives to HFCs should be acquired whenever feasible and by transitioning to equipment using safe, more sustainable alternatives over time.
Maranion explained that the Climate Action Plan is “a very large incentive for manufacturers as the federal government is such a big customer.”
Indeed, the U.S. federal government is one of the biggest purchasers of goods and services, including air conditioning and refrigeration technology. Maranion stated that the government owns or leases more than 635.000 vehicles and more than 353.000 buildings. It also spends nearly $191 billion each year on supplies and equipment, with $222 million allocated solely to refrigeration and air conditioning.
There were two federal actions earlier this year addressing HFCs:
Executive Order (EO) 13693 of March 2015 (“Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade”), a very broad order that aims for the federal government to reduce direct greenhouse gas emission by at least 40% by 2025. Under this executive order, agencies are required to purchase sustainable products and services identified in EPA programmes, including alternatives to ozone depleting substances and high-GWP HFCs (where feasible, as identified by SNAP).
Second, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) proposed a rule in May 2015 that addressed HFCs by directing the government to procure alternatives to high-GWP HFCs. Under this rule, where feasible, substitute acceptable alternatives (as identified by SNAP) should be sought. The final rule is currently being drafted.
Moreover, the text of EPA’s 608 Proposal to improve the sale, handling, recovery, and recycling of refrigerants was finally published on 9 November. This rule aims to strengthen existing requirements on handling refrigerants and applies them to ODS and HFC refrigerants. EPA estimates that the rule alone will reduce HFC emissions by 7 MMTCO2eq in 2025.
Maranion listed the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), one of the oldest and largest government agencies, as an example of federal action. The DoD is currently taking different steps to ensure HFC emission reductions.
Moreover, at a White House event in October, the DoD declared its commitment to reduce high-GWP HFCs and seek low-GWP alternatives. Research and development funding for low-GWP refrigerants for military application has also been provided: up to $3 million over a period of 3 years to fund competitively selected research and development projects.
Everything R744, 16 November 2015