New United Nations GUIDE assists Developing Countries in the adoption of Natural Substances

1. UNIDO ATMOsphere Technology Summit: The GUIDE presents lessons learnt from an event held on 3-4 June 2013 at the UNIDO headquarters in Vienna. The conference focused on technology options for the HVAC&R sector, as well as for the foam sector. It brought together 150 National Ozone Officers, ministry representatives, component and system suppliers, end-users, academics and non-governmental associations to actively discuss the technical, commercial and social viability of natural refrigerants and foams.
2. Global Survey: A global survey addressed stakeholder groups involved in the HCFC phase-out in developing countries and economies in transition. It received responses from 82 countries. This survey was important in capturing the opinions and trends amongst different stakeholders throughout the entire globe. In addition, findings from a 2012 UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) survey were released exclusively for the GUIDE to complement the findings. 

“As one of the implementing agencies of the Montreal Protocol, UNIDO has always been committed to promoting sustainable solutions for companies in the refrigeration, air conditioning and foam sectors that are transitioning away from ozone depleting substances. […] We hope that the lessons learnt from the Summit as well as the findings from the survey for stakeholders in Article 5 countries, which are summarised in this publication, will pave the way towards more sustainable and greener industries worldwide,” explains Sidi Menad Si Ahmed, Director of the Montreal Protocol Branch of UNIDO, the motivation for launching the GUIDE UNIDO.

“For more than a decade, shecco has been working together with the heating, refrigeration and cooling industry to introduce technology solutions that would not only alleviate the environmental burden from direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions, but that more importantly would highlight the business case for all those involved in a transition towards a “green economy”. shecco is looking forward to initiate a dialogue with all involved parties that we hope will continue long after UNIDO ATMOsphere has finished, leading to measurable and favourable results for the economy and the environment likewise,” adds Marc Chasserot, Managing Director shecco.

• Natural Refrigerants & Foam-Blowing Agents: An introduction to the most commonly used natural refrigerants and foam-blowing agents including ammonia, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, water and air in the HVAC&R sector today.

• Success Stories of Natural Substance Use: An overview of best-practice examples of natural refrigerants and foam-blowing agents to be followed in industrial refrigeration, light commercial and commercial refrigeration, domestic refrigeration, and the heating and foam sectors in developing countries.

• Barriers for the uptake of natural substances in developing countries: An analysis of the main technology, market and policy barriers for the adoption of natural substances in developing countries. For each section a general introduction is followed by specific barriers identified and concrete solutions found. Survey results complement each section with latest data for the fields of awareness, training & certification, safety & technology standards, regulation & policy frameworks, financial incentives & costs, technology & market availability, and refrigerant selection methodology. 

• Case Studies: 50 case studies are presented in an easy-to-access format providing a short overview of best-practice examples in developing countries. Each case study lists the substance used, the world region concerned, and the application sector.