WASHINGTON ― HVACR industry leaders and White House officials gathered today at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, District of Columbia, to reaffirm their 2014 pledge to invest $5 billion over 10 years in the research, development, and commercialization of low-GWP (global warming potential) refrigerants. Representatives from participating industry associations, refrigerant producers, and manufacturers of refrigeration equipment and components also provided progress reports detailing the steps they have taken over the past year to meet the goal of reducing hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) use 80 percent by 2050. The event was hosted by Dr. Ernest Moniz, U.S. Secretary of Energy, and Gina McCarthy, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
During the White House event, Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) president and CEO Stephen Yurek reported that the industry spent more than $255 million in 2015 toward its goals, demonstrating the industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship. He noted that the $5 billion pledge is in addition to the nearly $2 billion that was spent on such research in the previous five years. The yearly totals are expected to grow as spending moves from research into development and testing of equipment using the new refrigerants.