Delivering sustainable life-cycle management of HFCs

To address an important gap in end-of-life disposal of fluorocarbon refrigerants, in December 2019, the Efficient Cooling Initiative joined together with Japan’s Ministry of Environment to develop and launch its Initiative on Fluorocarbon Life-Cycle Management (LMI). Building on this alliance, sustainable HFC life-cycle management is one of the Efficient Cooling Initiative’s four key campaigns for 2020 and 2021. 

Existing and growing banks of HFCs and other refrigerants such as CFCs and HCFCs trapped in old air conditioners, refrigerators, and insulating foams, are a major gap in international and national management of these high-GWP gases.  In order to lower the risk to the climate from current and future cooling demand, it is necessary to ensure the proper management of fluorocarbons (HFCs, HCFCs and CFCs) throughout a product’s entire lifecycle. This will prevent these gases from escaping into the air during servicing and product disposal. The introduction of sound policies and technologies, and building relevant infrastructure for the proper life cycle management of fluorocarbons, will significantly reduce emissions that cause climate change and ozone depletion. It will also improve resource efficiency, spur innovation, and promote sustainable economic growth and quality jobs.