What does Paris Agreement mean to the HVACR industry?

Dubai, UAE: The signing of the historic Paris Agreement, post the COP 21 conference last year, has pushed countries and industries across the globe to set targets to reduce the impact of climate change and global warming. Countries in the European region and in Australia have already introduced regulations to slowly phase-down or phase-out F-gases. A few industry players explain how the Agreement can affect the HVACR industry…

Hassan Sultan, Former President, ASHRAE Qatar Oryx Chapter and Director of Mechanical Department, MZ & Partners, said that a “paradigm shift in the mindset of HVAC manufacturers is anticipated because of the Paris Agreement”. He added: “ASHRAE, COP, the UN and others are on the right track to achieve a carbon-balanced world. We are optimistic that all stakeholders will take full responsibility of providing project design, project requirement and equipment manufacturing and selection that are in line with the COP 21 Agreement. May the force of COP 21 be with all of us, as we attempt to reduce carbon emissions and, thus, limit the onslaught of global warming and reduce air pollution.”

Hans Reinders, CEO, Oxycom, said that with the Paris Agreement, governments will now introduce and enforce stricter energy efficiency regulations on products and technologies. He said: “It’s going to have an impact. It’s been delayed, because industries tend to wait longer so they can keep on thriving on their current products, but the outcome of Paris has made the government here more aware of the task at hand. Governments will implement maximum uses of energy per square metre, if you want to call it that way. Dr Esam Elsarrag of GORD (Gulf Organisation for Research & Development) said that, in the future, to be able to build a building here, you would have to cope with very strict standards of energy use and IAQ, and if you can’t, you won’t be in business anymore. It’s as simple as that. So the government is formulating stricter rules for energy consumption, and the industry will follow. It has to follow.”