§ Mr. GreenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to encourage the use of alternatives to HFCs in refrigeration; and if he will make a statement [89953]
§ Mr. MealeThe Government do not promote one refrigerant over another but encourage business and industry to choose the safest, most environmentally acceptable and energy efficient system for each particular application.
The Government have also agreed a Declaration of Intent with the refrigeration and air conditioning industry with the aim of reducing emissions of HFCs. The Declaration recommends that the servicing, maintenance and decommissioning of equipment containing HFCs are carried out only by competent persons. It also encourages all reasonably practicable precautionary measures to minimise refrigerant leakage, and recommends that refrigerants are recovered for reuse, reclamation or disposal during servicing and prior to equipment decommissioning.
We are reviewing the effectiveness of this Declaration and the other voluntary agreements on minimising HFC emissions as part of the development of a new climate change programme to meet the UK's legally binding target of 12.5 per cent. reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2008–12, and move towards the domestic goal of a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.