Chile. The Ozone Unit of the Ministry of the Environment and the Chilean Chamber of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (CchRyC) recently held the seminar "Profits generated by the good handling of refrigerants and improvement in energy efficiency", which aimed to inform entrepreneurs in the sector about the economic benefits of good practices in refrigeration, encouraging them to opt for a sustainable business.
"It has been shown that companies that operate under sustainable practices and patterns enjoy a better social reputation. That is positive to strengthen its brand and for the relationship with the rest of the actors," said Paloma Toranzos, representative of Environment and Energy of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Chile.
He added that "a study indicates that 71% of consumers are willing to pay more, provided that the goods and services purchased are provided by companies committed to environmental and social issues."
This was also highlighted by Peter Yufer, president of the CChRyC. "The Chilean Chamber of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning has worked collaboratively with the Ministry of the Environment for some time, since we know how important it is to maintain environmental awareness and keep in mind the impact that the mismanagement of refrigerants is causing on the planet."
Law, savings and challenges
The head of the Climate Change Office of the Ministry of the Environment, Carolina Urmeneta, reviewed the Climate Change Law and institutional policies on refrigerant gases and their uses, and explained the HCFC and HFC reduction schedules to which Chile has committed itself within the framework of the Montreal Protocol and the Amendment of Kigali, and which are contained in the Management Plan for the elimination of HCFCs in Chile (HPMHP). "To meet the proposed goals, we have developed regulations, promoted actions and projects with the foam and refrigeration and air conditioning sector, and other work in dissemination and training," Urmeneta explained.
During the seminar, Klaus Peter Schmid spoke about energy saving and efficiency, presenting cases and figures of how a company loses money due to gas leaks, poor maintenance of refrigeration systems or poor condition of equipment, among others.
"Now you just have to add these individual percentages and become aware of it. If we know the causes of inefficiencies, we can and must correct them, and with it we will do a better and more responsible job. Climate change will force us to redesign and recalculate differently from the current one, to meet what is expected in terms of energy performance and efficiency. We will most likely have to make major improvements to the existing equipment so that it continues to operate normally under new and different environmental conditions," he said.
Source: CchRyC.
