News

New analysis has found increasing emissions of several ozone-depleting chemicals despite their production being banned for most uses under the Montreal Protocol—and a loophole in the rules is likely responsible.

A concrete solar thermal building facade panel is being developed and tested as a heat source for heat pumps.

Niger submitted the first ever Kigali Implementation Plan (KIP) that will help the country comply with the requirements under the Kigali Amendment, which is a pioneering and a forward-looking step. A discussion with the National Ozone Officer of Niger, Ali Seydou Moussa and an International Technical Expert, Bassam Elassaad, on the factors leading to the plan in the interview below.

Rheem has announced that one of its heat pumps has met the challenge set by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop more efficient heat pumps for cold climates.

As the EU works hard to reduce CO₂ emissions, it is also making efforts to regulate other greenhouse gases heating up planet Earth, such as methane, fluorinated gases – also known as F-gases – and ozone-depleting substances. Although they are present in smaller volumes than CO₂ in the atmosphere, they can have a significant warming effect.

A new United Nations report says a sustainable industrial transformation is needed to close the widening development gap between countries, meet climate targets and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Republic of Moldova will gradually reduce, starting 1 January 2024, the import and use of fluorinated greenhouse gases and will replace them with natural cooling agents, according to the provisions of the new law on fluorinated greenhouse gases, voted in the final reading by the Parliament. The law was developed with the support of the EU4Climate project, financed by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Moldova and is to enter into force six months after its publication. Until now, the import and use of F-gases was not regulated in Moldova.

The EU Council of Ministers has taken a more relaxed approach to the F-gas regulations, easing the quota step down and pushing back some of the proposed product bans.

Leading European industry groups have expressed continuing concerns at the F-gas proposals despite the more industry-friendly stance adopted by the Council of Ministers.

Frascold and Arneg combine their technical skills and experience to create a propane chiller, designed to keep products fresh and for conditioning characterised by normal temperatures. A solution that arose from the desire to expand the use of natural gases by offering a valid and simple alternative to transcritical CO₂ systems.

The newly established A-Gas New Zealand site is located in south Auckland and will employ a locally formed team under the leadership of Mitch Williamson, Country Manager, A-Gas (New Zealand).

A new report into the usage of PFAS chemicals in Great Britain has suggested that exemptions could be considered for refrigerants in heat pumps and refrigeration systems.

UNEP’s OzonAction Asia-Pacific Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) team in collaboration with the Government of Vietnam organized a Network Meeting of Southeast Asia (SEA) National Ozone Officers (NOOs) in Halong City from 13-15 March 2023 to facilitate the Network countries to share experiences/good practices in various areas under the Montreal Protocol. The meeting was also a platform to facilitate regional cooperation between SEA NOOs and Customs authorities to further strengthen enforcement of licensing system through integrated approaches at the Twinning National Ozone Officers – Customs Workshop on ODS/HFC Trade Control and Reporting held from 16–17 March 2023.

Over 133 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions, roughly equal to emissions from 28.7 million passenger vehicles driven in a year, were reduced due to UNIDO projects under the framework of the Montreal Protocol in 2022.

Thermo King announced that the first trailer featuring the new Advancer-e engineless and electric trailer refrigeration unit started operations in the Netherlands.

Cambodia’s National Cooling Action Plan was developed with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), under the framework the Cool Coalition – a global effort led by UNEP to drive action on sustainable cooling.

The YORK YVFA Free-Cooling, Variable-Speed Screw Chiller is the first free-cooling screw chiller in the U.S. to use R-1234ze, a refrigerant with ultra-low global warming potential.

Environment and Climate Change, Principal Secretary of Kenya Festus K Ng’eno on Thursday presented key treaties that require ratification by the country’s National Assembly.

Around the world, daily concentrations of fine particulate matter in the air exceed recommended limits most of the time, scientists say.

Parliament’s Environment Committee agrees to an ambitious reduction of fluorinated greenhouse gases emissions, to further contribute to EU’s climate neutrality goal.