ACR Journal

October 2022 | November 2022 As we head for Chillventa, without doubt, sustainability is the greatest challenge facing our industry. The circularity rate relating to the materials that we produce and re-use is just three per cent. This means there is so much more we can do to ensure that large quantities of refrigerant are re-used and not released into the atmosphere. By adopting the opposite to the take, make and dispose business model we are forced to seek greater efficiencies and make better use of what we already have. At A-Gas our industry-leading circular economy approach to the complete lifecycle management of refrigerants reduces the carbon footprint of the industries we serve. But we have to offer our customers the right tools to handle their own individual sustainability challenges. The supplier, original equipment manufacturer (OEM), installer, and end-user all view this differently. We operate in a heavily regulated industry and our goal is to ensure that in whatever area our REFRIGERANTS 24 A-Gas managing director John Ormerod reports on the main challenge facing our industry as we prepare for the Chillventa exhibition in Germany. Building a more sustainable future customers are working, we all buy into doing the right thing. The key driver is to continue to support and educate the industry on the added values and benefits of sustainability – particularly our customers. We have to help them understand what is possible, the solutions available and how they can help to lower the carbon footprint of their business. Good for business Adopting the use of low global warming refrigerants has an important role to play but an increasing focus on sustainability together with greater environmental, social, and governance responsibility will really make the difference. Regulation will have an influence but at the end of the day the customer will drive the direction of industry travel. Enhancing the environment by reducing the use of global warming gases and preventing their release into the atmosphere is good for business. The reclamation and destruction of refrigerants form part of a flourishing carbon offset market in the US – and there is no reason why this cannot happen in the UK and across the rest of Europe. The offsets are generated by displacing the production of virgin refrigerants or, in some cases, the permanent removal of legacy CFC refrigerants through destruction. The offsets are verified by independent carbon registries. This pragmatic environmental solution is speeding up the phase down of greater amounts of ozone depleting and high global warming refrigerants and importantly providing an incentive to properly dispose of end-of-life gases. All carbon offsets available through A-Gas meet the necessary accredited third-party standards and rigorous verification processes required. This standard determines the quality that every project must meet for greenhouse gas emission reductions to become a tradeable environmental commodity. By buying carbon offsets, customers can demonstrate to their stakeholders and investors how they are contributing to their environmental, social and governance performance by mitigating climate risk and improving sustainability in a global context. Volume 8 No.6 A-Gas Rapid Recovery makes refrigerant recovery an easy process John Ormerod