MAJOR RETAIL GROUPS AT UK SUMMIT PUSH FOR END TO CLIMATE-DAMAGING SUPERMARKET REFRIGERATION

LONDON: The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) today welcomed the renewed commitment to phase out HFCs demonstrated by the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) at its 3^rd Refrigeration Summit in London this week.

The London-based campaigning NGO further called on the UK Government to support its retailers through the introduction of ambitious measures in the European Union F-Gas Regulation.

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are potent greenhouse gases used widely in refrigeration and air-conditioning, despite the availability of alternative climate-friendly refrigerants. The commercial refrigeration sector is responsible for over 30 per cent of the UK’s HFC emissions and the European Parliament is currently discussing amendments to the EU F-Gas Regulation that would ban the use of HFCs in new refrigeration equipment by 2020. 

UK retailers are at the forefront of replacing HFCs with natural refrigerants such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrocarbons, with hundreds of stores now running on climate-friendly technologies. This has had a significant impact on retailers’ carbon footprints, not only through reducing the direct impact of HFC emissions but because increased energy efficiency of the systems has led to lower electricity usage. Tesco, which hosted the CGF summit, has 65 HFC-free stores in the UK and announced at yesterday’s summit that it would double the number this year.

But despite the fact that British retailers stand to benefit from the introduction of HFC bans – which by setting clear schedules would allow companies to secure investments in production, lower costs and ensure adequate scale of production of alternatives – the Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), responsible for steering through the EU legislation, appears reluctant to propose or support such measures. 

 The Rt Hon Gregory Barker, UK Minister for Climate Change, told the summit: “This Coalition Government remains determined to be the greenest ever and we need our retail sector – which is of great importance to the UK economy – to follow suit and take a leading role on energy efficiency. Refrigeration is a significant part of this and that is why I’m calling on retailers to agree to freeze out costly HFC refrigeration.” 

EIA Senior Campaigner Clare Perry said: “Gregory Barker has called on retailers to phase out HFC refrigeration, and indeed most leading UK retailers are starting to do this.

“The best way the UK Government can support these retailers and incentivise climate-friendly replacement technologies is to ban the use of HFCs in commercial refrigeration equipment in the new F-Gas Regulation. We urge Mr Barker to speak to his counterpart in DEFRA to ensure these measures are a priority for the Government.”