DENR LAUNCHES NEW CODE OF PRACTICE TO CURB CARBON FOOTPRINT
Friday, 19 April 2013 18:37
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) launched on Friday a new code of good practice for the refrigeration and air conditioning industry after the phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and some other ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
The new Code of Practice (COP) for the refrigeration and air conditioning sector revises the original code crafted in 2002 to incorporate practices and technologies of the present time and help save the environment.
Organized by the National CFC Phase-out Plan-Project Management Unit (NCPP-PMU) of the DENR's Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the COP launch at the Quezon City Sports Club was attended by participants from the industry, including manufacturers, importers, dealers, sellers and service providers of refrigerators and air conditioners.
According to EMB Director Juan Miguel Cuna, the COP was revised to guide the affected sector on updated procedures and complement shifting technologies.
“It is time to upgrade procedures on refrigeration and air conditioning. With advancement in technology come the need to introduce new practices that would enable us not only to protect but also to prevent damage to the environment,” he stressed.
He said a core group of technical experts had been working on the revisions since mid-2012. Members of the core group presented the salient points of the revised COP during the launch.
The event also featured the ceremonial turnover of a copy of the new COP to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), headed by Director-General Joel Villanueva, and the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Technicians Association of the Philippines (RACTAP).
The TESDA will integrate the revised COP in its curriculum for refrigeration and air conditioning servicing courses.
On the other hand, the RACTAP, a newly-formed organization whose officers were introduced during the launch, will use the material as reference guide for its registered members. Its members also signed a pledge of commitment to adopt the guidelines in the revised COP as part of the efforts toward an “ODS-free Philippines.”
The revised COP includes topics on conversion of refrigerants and use of alternatives to CFCs and other ODS, as well as on handling, storage, recovery, recycling, collection, transport and disposal of refrigerants.
Other topics are on the TESDA certification for technicians; the Department of Trade and Industry accreditation for service shops; and DENR registration for ODS importers, distributors, dealers, resellers, retailers and service providers, among others.
Meanwhile, Cuna advised the public to patronize products which have been certified CFC-free, as well as service shops, technicians, dealers and the like that are duly accredited by concerned agencies.
The Philippines has been implementing the total phase-out of ODS in refrigeration and air conditioning systems, including industrial, mobile and residential types, as part of its commitment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
As of 2010, the country has already completely phased out production and consumption of seven out of eight ODS, including CFCs which are widely used as refrigerants. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons or HCFCs, the last ODS in the list, will be phased out gradually starting this year and will be completely banned by 2040. ##
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