ACR Journal

December 2021 | January 2022 NEWS 10 Volume 8 No.1 CARRIER ADVANTAGE PROGRAMME LAUNCHED Carrier Advantage, a new installer support and reward programme covering Carrier and CIAT equipment, has been introduced by Toshiba Carrier UK (TCUK). The scheme o ers three levels for accredited installers: Silver, Gold and Platinum, depending on the value of equipment purchased over a year. While the standard warranty for non-accredited installers is one year, accredited installers will benefit from enhanced two, three and five year warranties, according to their accreditation level. The programme is designed to equip and support installers to take their business to the next level by incentivising progress through levels with each successive stage providing higher levels of technical training, service support and rewards. “Carrier is the iconic, pioneering brand in air conditioning,” said David Dunn, managing director of TCUK Sales. “We want to reward and incentivise installers following Carrier’s recent spin-o as an independent company, and forge genuine collaborations that deliver innovative solutions together. I believe the combined Carrier and CIAT ranges are unmatched and provide a comprehensive o ering covering all hydronic and airside HVAC projects and price points.” All installers are eligible for Continuous Professional Development and product training. Carrier Advantage Platinum installers qualify for advanced technical training. Platinum and Gold Carrier Advantage installers will benefit from factory-based tours and briefings, subject to any restrictions during the pandemic. Additional benefits include retrospective discounts on equipment purchases, and, for Platinum installers, discounts across Carrier such as with service departments and Carrier Rental Systems. VIRTUAL PLATFORM FOR COLD CHAIN CONFERENCE The 7th IIR International Conference on Sustainability and the Cold Chain will be held from 11-13 April next year as a virtual event, with the aim of allowing even more delegates to take part in the topical conference. The event will explore cold chain innovation, developments in refrigeration technology and design, and examine what is being done to build a sustainable cold chain to address key UN sustainable development goals. Dr Andy Pearson, chairman of the planning committee, said: “Challenges and opportunities facing sustainability and the cold chain can only be successfully addressed with a worldwide approach - it therefore seemed appropriate to organise an online conference, which will allow delegates from all over the world to take part. We all look forward to finding new ways to tackle the issues we’re facing, and an online conference is an ideal platform to hear about novel and innovative solutions.” Authors can submit their abstract until October 1. They should contain quality scientific or technical information and must not have been published previously elsewhere The early bird registration fees start from £157 for full delegates, with discounted rates available for students. This includes access to all live conference sessions, online networking opportunities, the published conference proceedings, and the on-demand library of conference recordings. www.iccc2022.org EIA slams inaction on illegal HFC trade The London-based Environmental Investigations Agency says Romanian authorities have shown "alarming complacency" following its report into the illegal trade in illegal HFC refrigerant gases. In July, Europe’s Most Chilling Crime highlighted Romania as a major illegal entry point in the EU for Chinese-made, HFC refrigerants – but more than two months later, the EIA says zero enforcement action has been taken. Although the precise scale of the illegal HFC trade cannot be accurately estimated, the EIA believes it is significant, likely between 20-30 per cent of the legal trade. With an allowable annual EU quota of 100.3 million tonnes CO2- equivalent (CO2e), this would indicate the volume of illegal HFCs entering the EU was potentially as much as 30 million tonnes of CO2e in 2019. Prior to releasing the report, EIA notified all relevant customs authorities about its findings, including naming the companies involved and the smugglers caught on camera discussing their crimes, the routes commonly used and the methods employed to transport these hazardous gases around Europe, sometimes stowed below unwitting passengers and drivers in the luggage compartments of transcontinental coaches. Despite this, authorities in Romania have given no indication that action is being taken, even though the report was covered in the country’s media. Fionnuala Walravens, EIA senior climate campaigner, said: “In the midst of a global climate crisis and with the potential climate impact of this illegal trade amounting to the greenhouse gas emissions of more than 6.5 million cars being driven for a year, the lack of response from enforcement authorities in the EU and, especially, Romania smacks of alarming complacency. “Following in the wake of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest warning in August and a summer of terrifying climate change-induced weather incidents around the world, there is no excuse for inaction. “We have the tools needed to tackle this crime – namely, coordinated intelligence-led enforcement, higher penalties and better monitoring of HFCs entering and transiting through Europe – but they need to be taken out of the box to be at all e ective.” The EU revised its F-Gas Regulation in 2014 to phase down HFCs, a family of synthetic greenhouse gases hundreds to thousands of times more potent than CO2 and commonly used in refrigeration, air- conditioning, fire protection, aerosols and foams. But as supplies shrink and prices rise under the EU’s HFC quotas, criminal trade has proliferated to meet demand.