Brussels, 17 October 2016: The European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE), representing the heating, cooling, refrigeration and heat pump industry in Europe, applauds the agreement reached by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Kigali on 15th October for a global phase down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC).

As a strong supporter of global action on HFCs and an active player in the Montreal Protocol discussions, EPEE has for a long time advocated for the need to introduce an amendment to the Montreal Protocol in order to facilitate action on HFCs.

Following the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which is about to enter into force in Europe, and the EU F-gas Phase-Down, which is in place since 2015, this global deal on HFCs will send a strong signal and will unite our industry even more in its efforts to curb HFC emissions.

“The Kigali amendment on a global phase-down of HFCs is a long-awaited breakthrough and after the Paris

Agreement the second major milestone for our climate. Now we have to make it happen, and ensure that energy efficiency is taken into consideration. This is because the transition towards lower global warming potential refrigerants needs to go hand in hand with high energy efficiency if we are serious about reducing overall CO2 emissions”, said EPEE Director General Andrea Voigt.

In parallel with its work on the global discussions on HFCs, EPEE has also been working closely with EU and national decision makers, industry, end-users and schools to raise awareness about the recent EU phase-down. For example, through its EU Gapometer, EPEE has worked to identify the main challenges to achieve the phase down goals and the concrete actions needed to tackle those challenges.

“We now hope that our work at EU level through our Gapometer helps to inspire other regions in the world as they seek to implement the Kigali deal and make the commitments a success,” concluded Andrea Voigt.