Interview for Italians

The European draft legislation has been greeted in different ways. Environmental organisations, calling for an immediate phase-out, have expressed their disappointment regarding the text while F-gases Industry found it ‘reasonable’. The Automobile Industry which is particularly concerned with the dispositions relating to the phase-out of HFC-134a in motor vehicles’ air-conditioning are also favourable to the changes, even though European carmakers consider the short period allowed to develop alternatives as rather ‘challenging’. (The Japanese Market is likely to have fewer difficulties as they presented themselves as ‘led by strong consumer demand for environmental-friendly air-conditioning systems’).
Austria and Denmark, following the environmentalists’ point of view, have voted against the new dispositions, as they have more stringent legislation which would be weaken, according to Greenpeace, by the feeble proposed dispositions: “ the law will penalize any member state that has or intends to develop more progressive policies because of the proposed ‘legal basis’”
It is interesting that the position defended by some opponents to the adoption of such legal systems which they perceive as being able to have dramatic effect on the whole refrigeration and air-conditioning sector. A good example is held by the remarks of Mr. John Barlow, past Chairman of the HVCA’s RAC Group executive committee, who expressed his feeling regarding this regulation, as follows:
‘It is uncertain when F-Gas legislation will become mandatory in the UK; the industry consensus is that it will not be for some years. However, ever-increasing responsibility on end-users means a mandatory refrigerant handling scheme is much closer than people think. It is something firms should be thinking about now as, when the nationwide scheme is introduced, it will have wide-reaching effects on the entire sector.(…) A mandatory national refrigerant handling scheme will mean the end-user has legal liability in preventing leakage and ensuring proper recovery during servicing and replacement of cooling systems. Installers, maintenance contractors, sub-contractors, equipment manufacturers or distributors of products containing HFC refrigerants will all therefore also be affected.’
UNEP feels that the EU regulations is moing in the direction of the sustainable development. UNEP also hopes that countries would learn to apply the LCCP instruments not only to select the technologies buit also to promote the legislations and develop the policies.
How UNEP is creating awareness among people on this technically complex issue?
It is challenge for UNEP . UNEP has developed three pronged strategy to create awareness. It is is like the 3 pillar structure. The first pillar concerns Information, the second Education and the third pillar is based on Communication.