Green Business Notebook

One aspect of your green business program is that it keeps up to date with environmental agreements and legislation that may affect your business.   The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international agreement to phase out substances that have an adverse effect on the ozone layer.  This phase out will make it more costly and difficult to obtain  certain types of refrigerants and your green business program needs to consider what refrigerants are used by the business and how the phase out of certain refrigerants may affect you.

Refrigerants are substances that remove heat from the ambient temperature and are commonly found in air conditioning systems, heat pumps, automotive systems, the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and in the production and storage of food.

While refrigerants play an important role in our day to day lives, refrigerants are a large contributor to ozone depletion and global warming.  In 1987 an international agreement was created to limit the environmental damage done by refrigerants.  The Montreal Protocol was initially established to implement the phase out of chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants (CFC’s), however the protocol was amended in 1992 to schedule the phase out of Hydrogenated Chlorofluorocarbon Refrigerants (HCFCs).  The countries that have ratified the Protocol are required to meet deadlines for limiting and eventually stopping the production of these refrigerants.

Chlorofluorocarbon Refrigerants (CFCs) are organic compounds made up of carbon, chlorine and fluorine.  CFCs were the first refrigerant created and were commonlyused until it was discovered that CFCs were the main cause of ozone depletion.  CFCs have already been phased out under the Montreal Protocol.

Hydrogenated Chlorofluorocarbon Refrigerants (HCFCs) are a subset of CFCs which include hydrogen as well as carbon, chlorine and fluorine.   They were developed as a substitute to CFCs and while they are still damaging to the ozone layer, the damage is less than from CFC’s.  Developed countries that have ratified the protocol are required to reduce HCFC’s from 1 January 2010 and completely phase them out by 2020.

There are alternative options to CFC’s and HCFC’s though changing over to an alternative refrigerant will often require modification of equipment.  In some cases equipment won’t be able to take a different refrigerant and will have to be replaced.  If you are in the market to purchase new equipment that uses refrigerants consider these options:

Hydrofluorocarbon Refrigerants (HFCs) are refrigerants that are deemed acceptable to replace HCFC’s.  These refrigerants cause no ozone destruction but are a greenhouse gas and contribute to climate change and global warming.  HFC’s are also one of the six greenhouse gases addressed by the Kyoto Protocol and countries may seek to limit the use of HFC’s to meet its legally binding greenhouse gas emissions target.  Some countries have already indicated support to include the phase out HFC’s into the Montreal Protocol.

Natural refrigerants are refrigerants that occur naturally such as propane, iso-butane, ammonia, CO2, water and air.  While CO2 is a greenhouse gas which is addressed by the Montreal Protocol, the amount of CO2 that will be released from a closed refrigeration system is considered negligible making it a viable refrigeration alternative.  Converting equipment to natural refrigerants is more costly than converting it to use HFC’s.

It is important to start thinking about how the phase out of refrigerants could affect your business.  It is expected that the 2010 HCFC limits placed on developed countries will make it harder and more expensive to obtain HCFC refrigerants.  As the modification or replacement of equipment will be a capital cost for your business, it is important that refrigerant management is factored into your green business program.

One aspect of being a green business is being aware how much carbon and other greenhouse gases the business emits into the atmosphere.  We have all heard the terms global warming, climate change and greenhouse gas but as they are often used interchangeably, it can be difficult to understand exactly what these terms mean.  However understanding these terms is important before taking action to reduce emissions from the business.  Here is a brief guide to the most common terms:

Global Warming:  The phrase global warming refers to an overall warming of the planet based on the average temperature over the entire surface.  Global warming has both natural and manmade causes with the main manmade cause being increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.  These gases spread around the earth forming a cover trapping solar energy that would normally be radiated into space resulting in increased temperatures.

Climate Change:  Although the expressions climate change and global warming are used interchangeably, they do mean different things. The term climate change refers to long term regional changes in climate including temperature, humidity, wind, rainfall and severe weather events.  Like global warming, climate change has both natural and manmade causes with the manmade causes of climate change being credited  to increased levels of greenhouse gases.  Natural causes of climate change include the continental drift, volcanoes and ocean currents.

Greenhouse Gases:  These gases are what prevent solar radiation from being discharged to space and are the main cause of both climate change and global warming.  Some greenhouse gases such as chlorofluorocarbons are synthetic while others such as carbon and water vapour occur naturally in the environment.  While some greenhouse gases occur naturally, human beings have altered the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere through their activities such as burning coal, oil, natural gas and wood.

Air Pollution:  Air pollution is a related problem and many of the pollutants responsible for poor air quality and smog are also greenhouse gases contributing to climate change and global warming.   Discussions about air pollution usually focus on visibility and air quality but reducing emissions that cause air pollution will also reduce greenhouse gas levels.

Ozone Depletion:  Ozone depletion is a different but related problem to climate change and global warming.   The ozone layer is a gaseous layer in the upper atmosphere that absorbs ultra violet radiation.  A reduction in the ozone layer causes more ultra violet radiation to reach earth which can affect crop growth and cause health problems such as skin cancer.  Closer to the earth ozone is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

The good news is the problem of ozone depletion is understood and measures have been taken to protect the ozone layer.  Climate change and global warming however are still serious environmental concerns and further action is needed to address these.  Having a basic understanding of these terms is the first step in deciding the role your green business has in addressing these issues.