BIS to revisit safety standards on use of hydrocarbons in fridges and ACs

The refrigeration and air conditioning committee of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has formed a panel to consider amendments to refrigerant standards, proposed by Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). If accepted by the committee, the amendments will enable wider use of hydrocarbons, a refrigerant gas which has significantly lower global warming potential (GWP) than other common gases.

Currently, India does not have any safety standards for refrigerating systems. To bridge this gap, the BIS committee had proposed the adoption of “ISO 5149: Refrigerating systems and heat pumps—Safety and environmental requirements” as the India standard in 2015.

But these standards restrict the use of natural refrigerants like hydrocarbons, according to CSE. ISO 5149, adopted by European countries and followed by Indian refrigerator and air conditioner manufacturers, states that the maximum charge size must not exceed 350-360 g of hydrocarbons, which corresponds to a maximum cooling capacity of around 1.5 tonnes. A change in the standard would allow Indian manufacturers to expand their production line to hydrocarbon air conditioning systems with higher cooling capacity.

In a workshop conducted in April this year, CSE invited experts from around the world to draft amendments along with industry and academia to include the safe use of hydrocarbons. The amendments were presented to the BIS committee on June 17 for review. CSE argued that ISO 5149 is restrictive for the use of natural refrigerants. Existing refrigerant gases are either ozone-depleting substances, have high GWP or are synthetic chemicals which may have unforeseen effects on the environment. They sought to dispel concerns surrounding the use of hydrocarbons, stating that safety studies for the refrigerant were performed decades ago with little consideration for technological improvements. ISO 5149 is based on this perception of diminished safety, they said.

Expanding the use of hydrocarbons is also important in the context of discussions being held under the Montreal Protocol on the phasing down of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a common refrigerant. According to the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) created under the Protocol, all sectors, except mobile air conditioning, have natural refrigerant alternatives which are less harmful to the environment. But the unusually restrictive safety requirements are becoming a hurdle for the safe use of these refrigerants. Amendments to ISO 5149 will help the Indian government negotiate from a position of confidence at the Montreal Protocol and move to patent-free, low-GWP, natural refrigerants.

Originally published in Down to Earth

G7 countries discuss HFC phase down amendment

In Dubai, parties to the Montreal Protocol had agreed to address HFCs under the Protocol 

Ministers and representatives of G7 countries and the European Commissioner for the Environment met last week in Toyama, Japan. The joint communiqué adopted at the meeting acknowledged the success achieved in 2015—the adoption of landmark global outcomes, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda), the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Addis Ababa Action Agenda.

The meeting recognised the importance of mitigating emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), including black carbon, methane, ground-level ozone and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Measures to reduce SLCPs can help slow the rate of near-term warming, while realising significant benefits for human health and food security.

HFC phase down

On measures to address fluorocarbons, G7 welcomed the decision in Dubai by parties to the Montreal Protocol to address HFCs under the Protocol, and support adoption of a Montreal Protocol HFC phase-down amendment in 2016. In the absence of an HFC phase down, HFC emissions are projected to grow 9-19 per cent by 2050, of projected global CO2 emissions under business-as-usual scenarios.

It is a significant decision as the recent negotiations in Geneva were steered by developed countries, including the G7 countries, in informal settings. The negotiations in the contact groups tried to address the challenges put forward by developed countries to phase down HFCs. Once all the challenges are discussed in the forthcoming conferences, it is expected that the contact group will deliberate in detail over the four amendment proposals to the Montreal Protocol made by various countries, including India. Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the only non-profit to have come up with an alternate proposal titled “Getting the world off the chemical treadmill” to phase out HFCs, has suggested an equitable division of HFCs in its proposal as a way of breaking the current deadlock.

This statement by G7 countries shows that they are determined to continue the dialogue in the coming Montreal Protocol meetings to be held in Vienna, Austria, in July and in Kigali, Rwanda, in October. Countries are expected to continue informal discussions in the meantime with the hope that an agreement can be reached by the end of 2016 in Kigali.

Reviewing refrigeration standards

There is an urgent need to assess flammable refrigerants with changing technology

A standard is an agreed, repeatable way of doing something. Every product manufactured needs to follow a specific standard so that there is uniformity in it and manufacturers can be held accountable to maintain a certain quality.

With changing technology over the passage of time, there is always a need to keep improving the standards. For example, in electronic products there needs to be improvement in terms of energy efficiency and safety, along with having a low environmental footprint.

A standard document is made by forming a committee with the involvement of industry experts, academicians and civil society members.

The document does not have any legal binding until and unless mandated under law, but standard documents are made in many technical fields to evolve a common procedure and maintain the quality of the product. It is also made to have expert opinions in improving that particular product.

In the context of the refrigeration and air conditioning sector (RAC), the Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) has a committee on refrigeration and air conditioning sectional committee which looks into refrigeration and air conditioning standards.

Currently, there is no existing standard document by the BIS which can address hydrocarbons that have a huge potential to replace hydrofluorocarbons (HFC). Negotiations are going on in the Montreal Protocol to phase out HFCs as they have a high Global warming potential (GWP).

The most commonly used refrigerants prior to 1930s were the natural ones—carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrocarbons. But due to the limitations of technology at that time, the challenges associated with natural refrigerants such as flammability, pressure and toxicity could not be overcome.

So, the chemical industry came up with high-ODP (Ozone depletion potential) and high-GWP chlorinated fluorocarbon refrigerants to replace HFCs. But advances in refrigeration technology over the past few decades have brought natural refrigerants back into the mainstream.

Need to introduce new standard

All refrigerants are dangerous if misused or applied incorrectly. In the refrigerant and air-conditioning industry, there is a need to rework on standards with developing technology and with more efficient alternatives which have a low GWP.

Natural refrigerants like hydrocarbons with low GWP can break the chemical treadmill that is being followed in the industry currently.

It is important for a developing country like India to develop its own version of a standard as it will help the local industry stay independent and take the decision to move in the direction in the best interest of the industry and the environment.

When doing this, it is advisable to follow an equivalent international standard or a widely acknowledged national or regional (for instance European) standard.

Global standards applicable to refrigeration and air-conditioning come mainly from the International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), in addition to some of the regional and country-specific standards.

It is a common practice that international and regional standards are adopted at the regional and national levels. During this procedure, standards can be modified to suit the best local demands and conditions. Although the concerned IEC standard is under revision and India is a member of the ISO, we need to start the process of similar Indian standards as soon as possible as developing a India-specific standard requires significant technical resources, expertise and time.

Hydrocarbons have proved to be efficient refrigerant gases. They are currently being used in India, but the problem in scaling it up is the non-existence of a standard to address the concerns that are country specific.

The standard that is currently being followed by Godrej for hydrocarbon air conditioners in India is a European standard which limits the charge size of the air conditioner to 360 grams of hydrocarbon, thereby limiting the capacity of the air conditioner to under 1.5 tonnes.

To increase the capacity of the air conditioning, the charge size needs to be increased but without compromising on the safety of the equipment. So, a new standard needs to be designed for Indian conditions which can accommodate the country’s requirements of having a higher capacity and have use of the technology like leak detection sensors, safety valves and so on.

India has a range of unique concerns which the European standard does not address. One of the major issues is that India has very high temperatures in most regions and so needs higher-capacity air conditioning unlike European countries. Standards in Europe are based on room size which is a challenge to implement with practical problems like no regulation on installation.

The good news is that the concerns that exist have proven solutions with experiments conducted in labs which need to be discussed and the larger group of members made aware of.

To counter all these concerns having an Indian standard which can take the local requirements into account can be a game-changing solution. A standard needs to be designed which will address not only the safety concerns, but also stress on improving efficiency and providing scope for scaling up to accommodate requirements.

Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment is organising a workshop on “Addressing challenges in safety standards for hydrocarbon refrigerants in the RAC sector” on April 26‐27, 2016 to address some of the concerns and propose the way forward for creating a new standard.

Originally published in Down to Earth 

Negotiations on Montreal protocol one step closer to phasing out HFCs

Parties to the Montreal protocol negotiated in Geneva last week at the 37th Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG), with the intention of phasing down Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

The Montreal Protocol was mainly intended to negotiate Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) that cause damage to the ozone layer. ODS have been replaced by HFCs, which have a very high global warming potential (GWP). All parties met in Dubai last year and formed a contact group to discuss the phasing down of HFCs.

The first day of the conference began on a positive note. It discussed the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) report and primarily focused on the refrigeration and air conditioning sector. In its report, TEAP presented 80 different alternatives which have the potential of replacing HFCs. After the presentation, the parties requested TEAP to come up with a matrix which could help them compare different alternatives to HFCs and were mainly disappointed that cost implications and economic feasibility did not reflect in the report which would help them make a decision. The parties also had an opportunity to meet TEAP informally later in the week. TEAP has announced that it will rework the report and submit it along with the second report which is due to be submitted in Vienna in July.

Discussion on exemption for High Ambient temperature and intellectual property rights took centre stage for the next two days of the conference. After many bilateral discussions in backrooms, the US submitted a reworked proposal on exemption for High Ambient temperature countries which would qualify 34 countries to get the exemption if the proposal is passed in Extraordinary MOP in Vienna. Safety standards also stood out as a major concern for many parties.

Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) hosted a side event on “Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) impediments to an HFC phase down”. Based on the findings of a patent analysis done by commissioning a study to Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), CSE made a revolutionary suggestion to exclude the mobile air conditioning (MAC) from amendment to solve the IPR issue. The MAC sector only contributes between 10 to 15 per cent of emissions or tonnage of refrigerant gas but the IPR issue, which is very specific to it, has been blocking negotiations to go forward. And as there are natural alternatives available in every sector other than the MAC, CSE expressed concerns that this might lead to a delay or a weak HFC amendment, which would be detrimental. CSE, in its presentation suggested that the MAC sector could be excluded from the negotiations now and could be reviewed in a technical review process later when a natural alternative became available.

The last day of the negotiations under the Montreal protocol in Geneva ran late into the night just like the previous meeting in Dubai. After the initial announcement in the plenary in the morning, the whole day was suspended and meetings were held in the backrooms. The parties finally met officially in the contact group at 9 pm but could not come to a consensus on the text to be discussed. They, however, have come up with a working draft of informal group consulting on solutions for challenges on funding issues and flexibility of implementation and solutions on funding challenges. These documents are expected to carry forward the discussion in Vienna.

Overall, in this conference, progress has been made on High Ambient temperature exemption, funding and flexibility of implementation. But it was a disappointment that parties could not find solutions to all the challenges identified and come to a consensus on text and are yet to start discussing the amendment proposals put forward by various groups. The plenary was suspended and not concluded, leaving scope for the contact group to meet again before the next plenary meeting in Vienna.

Originally published in Down to Earth

Negotiations pick pace as US proposes amendment text on exempted countries

Parties to the Montreal Protocol finally started discussing the different challenges they face on the third day of talks at the 37th Open-ended Working Group in Geneva. 

The discussion extended late into the night with an extra session and covered challenges like finance, intellectual property rights (IPR), flexibility, exemptions, relationship with Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFCs) phase-out, non-party trade provisions and legal aspects of moving HFCs from UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) to the Montreal Protocol. 

Most of the challenges had been identified and discussed in the Dubai meeting last year and a fierce debate was expected as parties had enough time to work on and present their concerns and possible solutions. 

After a number of informal closed door sessions with some countries, the US put forward a proposal by submitting an amendment text on High Ambient Temperature (HAT) countries for negotiation. This has been a long-standing demand of Middle Eastern countries as available technology is not suitable for or has not been tested for HAT countries. The amendment text proposed by the US uses the Centre for Environmental Data Archival (CEDA) to derive the daily highest temperatures. It allows exemption for 34 countries, mostly from the Middle East and Africa. The list of countries was strategically read out instead of being provided along with the amendment text. One would assume that India would make it to the list, but the country was not considered for HAT exemption because it does not satisfy all the parameters as per the data set chosen carefully. Although there were many models to define High Ambient Temperatures, the data sets were chosen so as to include some specific countries. 

The amendment text allows an exemption for Parties (countries) where an average of at least two months per year over 10 consecutive years witness a peak monthly average temperature of above 35°C. Multi-split air conditioners for commercial and residential purposes, split ducted air conditioners (residential and commercial) and ducted commercial packaged (self-contained) air conditioners were include in the list of exempted equipment which can use HFCs for four additional years even after the phase-down in HAT countries. 

IPR is another major impediment and India repeated its stand by saying that all expenses incurred for IPR should be paid by the multilateral fund of the protocol. But experts felt that the discussion was not as exhaustive as expected as IPR has always been described as a major impediment from the time the negotiations began. Many delegates and participants were surprised that the discussion was cut short and want it to be bought back to the table or discussed in informal meetings.

Originally published in Down to Earth

Montreal Protocol talks begin on a positive note in Geneva

Negotiations over phasing down hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) began as part of Montreal Protocol in Geneva on a slow but positive note.

According to experts, who have been part of such talks for years, feel that all the Parties have more or less agreed to discuss the important issue of how to reduce the use of HFCs. It is an achievement as there was a time when the Parties did not even talk about it.

It was expected that the HFC phase down negotiations will continue to discuss the challenges identified in the previous meeting held in Dubai last year where a contact group was formed on the feasibility and ways of managing HFCs.

Important topics

The first half of day 1 during the plenary session witnessed the passage of the agenda for the week which included:

• Presentation and discussion of the report by the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) over information on alternatives to ozone-depleting substances
• Resolving challenges by generating solutions on the feasibility of managing HFCs
• Discussing the amendment proposals submitted by Parties after the challenges were talked upon

After the presentation of the TEAP report on the proposed alternatives to HFCs, mainly in high ambient temperature countries, the Parties had various queries and comments.

Doubts on costs, feasibility

Most of the questions raised regarding the TEAP report were related to economic feasibility, cost implications, need for a user-friendly matrix to explain alternatives to HFCs, lack of energy efficiency as a parameter in choosing an alternative, assumptions on forecast and so on.

The TEAP will rework on the report based on the issues raised by the Parties and present a second report in the follow-up conference in Vienna in July.

Post lunch, many parties pointed out that the contact group should either discuss the challenges one by one in the order mentioned in Dubai or on a priority basis the next day.

Low-volume-consuming countries were specific about the need for capacity building and disposal mechanisms. India and China focused on issues such as intellectual property rights and employment opportunities. Columbia mentioned about the need for differential HFC phase down schedules between developing and developed nations. It also discussed about financial mechanisms as the reason for the success of the Protocol and the need to focus on strengths.

Most Parties agreed that the safety standards for refrigerant gases have gained prominence with natural refrigerants becoming a potential solution to escape the chain of chemical treadmill.

Some natural refrigerants have drawbacks such as toxicity, flammability and high pressure requirement to be favoured as replacements. With the advancement of technology, however, most past concerns have turned into opportunities.

Published Originally in Down to Earth

HFC Phase down negotiations to continue in Geneva

“The Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer” is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer. It was originally meant to phase out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion and not Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which do not cause any harm to ozone. But HFCs have very high global warming potential (GWP) and were introduced as replacement for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) which are harmful for the ozone layer. So, most parties believe that it is the responsibility of the Montreal Protocol to phase down or phase out the HFCs as well.

In the Meeting of the Parties (MOP 27) in Dubai last year, a contact group was established on the feasibility and ways of managing Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to negotiate the way forward. The outcome of the conference was termed as the Dubai pathway. A list of challenges was compiled and solutions provided for a few by the parties in Dubai.

The next meeting, which is the 37th Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG 37) of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from April 4-8, 2016. It is expected that the meeting will continue to mainly discuss feasibility and ways of managing HFCs in the contact group. The remaining challenges that have been identified and not discussed by parties in Dubai in the contact group are expected to be discussed and resolved by generating solutions on the feasibility of managing HFCs.

The four amendment proposals to the Montreal Protocol made by various countries including India are also expected to be deliberated in detail only after all the challenges are discussed. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the only non-governmental organisation to have come up with a proposal to phase out HFCs, has suggested an equitable division of HFCs in its proposal as a way out to break the deadlock between the issues that the current proposals cover. The four amendment proposals put forward by parties to be discussed are:

• Joint proposal by US, Canada and Mexico (North American proposal)
• Joint proposal by Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia (Federated States of), Palau, Philippines, Samoa and Solomon Islands (the Micronesian or Island States Proposal)
• Proposal submitted by India (Indian proposal)
• The European Union proposal (European proposal)

Also expected is a discussion on the report from the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) on alternatives to ozone depleting substances (ODS). The report submitted primarily focuses on the refrigeration and air conditioning sector. A second report covering all the other major remaining sectors is expected to be submitted by TEAP in the Vienna meeting in July which will also address comments received in Geneva.

All the challenges and concerns by the parties and the proposals are expected to be negotiated in the series of conferences by the end of this year. And if a consensus is achieved by all the 196 countries who are parties on phasing down HFC, there is a potential to reducing more than 100 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent or up to 0.5 degrees Celsius by 2050.

Originally published in Down to Earth

Is the US on a bilateral agreement spree over climate change?

The White House released a U.S.-China Joint Presidential Statement on climate change on Thursday, marking a significant step in this direction.

It is interesting to note that the United States has also released a joint statement with Canada and signed bilateral agreements with Cuba and Argentina on the same issue.

As per the statement available on the White House website, the US and China have entered a bilateral pact to sign the Paris Agreement on April 22.

The heads of both the nations are also committed to work together as well as with other countries this year to achieve successful results in related multi-lateral fora, including an HFC amendment under the Montreal Protocol pursuant to the Dubai Pathway, and on a global market-based measure for addressing greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation.

Is the US serious?

A report, Capitan America, released by Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment before the Paris climate deal was hailed by the developing countries and ignored by the western media, experts said. The report had termed the US climate action plan “unambitious and inequitous”.

A leaked note released by a NGO called the Third World Network (TWN) to a limited audience urged developing countries not to “rush” to sign the Paris Agreement in New York in April.

The note also stated that developing countries should not rush into signing the Paris Agreement this year, as the COP 21 decision provides one year to all the Parties to do so from April 22, 2016 to April 21, 2017.

TWN has been facing a lot of flak for the leaked document. According to sources, it was misrepresented in the western media for urging developing nations to boycott the signing whereas it had only sounded a cautious note.

Prior to the deal signing, the US is on a bilateral signing spree with countries to make certain that it can push through its proposal on HFC amendment in the Montreal Protocol negotiations to begin in Geneva next week,experts feel.

It would be a great success if only the proposal put forward by the US on HFC amendment was equitable and addressed the concerns of the developing countries, experts feel. According to the analysis done by the CSE, the US proposal on HFC amendment to the Montreal Protocol is the most “inequitable” among the four proposals that have been submitted for discussion.

Instead of fulfilling their existing commitments and reworking on their proposal to accommodate the concerns of the developing countries, experts feel that the US is using pressure tactics and ignoring the voices of civil society organisations.

Published in Down to Earth on Friday 01 April 2016

America's HFC game plan

How the US is gaining support in apportioning of carbon space in the Montreal Protocol with bilateral agreements

Last week, the United States had two bilateral deals with Argentina and Cuba. Both the deals mention the Paris climate deal and need to fight climate change. The US-Argentina deal has a section which specifically mentions that they are committed to adopting an amendment to the Montreal Protocol on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) phase downin 2016.

It is a welcome sign that HFC phase down is being looked as a major way to mitigate climate change and efforts are being made to make sure that an amendment to the Montreal Protocol is made in 2016. According to some estimates, HFC phase down has the ability to prevent an equivalent of 100 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2050 and avoid up to 0.5°C warming by the end of the century.

Currently, there are four proposals put forward by different groups to discuss the HFC phase down and US is leaving no stone unturned to have support for the proposal put forward by them by getting into bilateral deals and understanding with some countries. But according to the analysis done by Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the US proposal would appropriate the emissions in the most inequitable manner of all the four proposals. All the four proposals put forward are expected to be discussed in Geneva this April, so having an understanding between A2 (developed) countries with a select few A5 (developing) countries would mean lesser unity among A5 countries.

Fig: Analysis on equitable consumption

It now looks like a trend as to how the US is having bilateral summits to discuss climate change and HFC phase down as the US also had a similar understanding with Pakistan last year for cooperation. Developing countries need to take a clue from the negotiations in the Paris agreement where not having unity has costed them with an ambiguous deal which looks like everyone has something in the deal but with little clarity on most of the issues that really mattered to them otherwise before the summit. If there is no unity, there comes a point where some countries might be termed as blockers like it happened in Paris and even the genuine concerns might have to be let gone because of the international pressure.

Originally published in Down to earth on 29-3-2016

Charge size matters

By Umang Jalan and Rakesh Kamal

An increase in maximum charge size limits for hydrocarbon refrigerants is needed for effective HFC phase down in India 

With the upcoming negotiations at the 37th Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol from April 4 - 8, 2016 which will deal with the Dubai pathway to formulate a HFC phase down agreement, natural refrigerants have been gaining ground over high Global Warming Potential (GWP) Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC).

Natural refrigerants or the "gentle five" include ammonia, carbon dioxide, water, hydrocarbons and air. Perhaps, the most appropriate in an Indian context are hydrocarbon refrigerants. This is because these refrigerants have low GWP, are freely available and have high energy efficiency in high ambient temperature conditions. With the ever-growing need for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) in India, moving from HFCs to natural refrigerants provides an opportunity to mitigate emissions and avoid a warming of 0.5 degrees globally.

There are, however, safety concerns related to hydrocarbons because of relatively higher flammability than traditional HFC based refrigerants These concerns, however can now be dealt with new technologies that can be used to make such systems safe enough for wide scale implementation. The only major restriction is the lack of accommodating safety standards.

The amount of refrigerant needed to run a refrigeration cycle of a certain cooling capacity is known as “charge size”. According to reports, the maximum allowed “charge size” of hydrocarbons in RAC systems needs to be increased to 1 kg in order to accomplish large scale implementation of the technology. This amount would be sufficient for large scale implementation of the technologies in the most popular RAC sectors, i.e. medium (2-2.5 tonnes) scale domestic air conditioning. Industry estimates suggest that the domestic air-conditioning sector is expanding in India by 20 per cent per year and accounts for 35 per cent of global emissions from HFCs. More accommodating standards are therefore crucial to achieve an effective HFC phase down in India.

The only suppliers of hydrocarbon-based refrigerators and air conditioners in India currently comply with European standards. These standards mandate construction, design, testing for the safe use of flammable refrigerants. The standards however restrict the maximum charge size to 350-360 g of hydrocarbons. This corresponds to a maximum cooling capacity of around 1.5 tonnes. A change in the standards would allow Indian manufacturers to expand their production line to Hydrocarbon RAC systems with higher cooling capacity.

Currently, there are no standards available in India for the use of hydrocarbon-based refrigerants. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) takes its cues from the international community for the formulation of most of its standards. This poses a problem in standard development for hydrocarbons as no country allows more than a fraction of the requisite 1 kg maximum charge size limit. There are however leak detection, mechanical system shutdown and ventilation (in case of leaks) technologies available now that may make the case for increasing the charge size in most RAC applications. Currently, the EU, US and China are in the process of revisiting some of these standards in light of the technological improvements.

Perhaps, standards should necessitate safety features that will allow for universal use of the RAC systems without room size limits in Indian conditions. This is important, as oversight over implementation of such limits would be difficult in India. Developing an Indian standard to ensure safe wide scale implementation of hydrocarbon RAC systems is therefore important. Such a standard will help place the local refrigeration industry in a better position globally. It will also help in having an edge in the current negotiations as it will give confidence to the markets/industry that the Indian government is working on providing the framework for transition to natural refrigerants.

Originally published in Down to earth on 22-3-2016

Short story: In-house garden

Please find my short story published in Gobar times, a suppliment for children in Down to earth magazine on 1st March 2016

A new report: “Capitan America.”

By Tom Ewing

I recently received an email with the following question in the subject line: “What will be the outcome of scrapping the US Clean Power Plan on its INDC?” (Note: INDC = “intended nationally determined contributions.” “Contributions” in this context is not a positive amount, so to speak. Rather it is what you, as a nation, or representing a nation, will “contribute” towards efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, most commonly CO2. It is one of many awkward acronyms and phrases that are part of the climate change lingo; possibly a result of a search for some commonality among so many languages.)

As you likely know if you’ve signed up for announcements about COP21 and the Paris Framework or Agreement there’s no shortage of groups sending out stuff. For some, climate change will prove to be very lucrative, indeed, what with endless conferences, consultancy contracts, new legal and graduate courses, burgeoning travel budgets with endless expenses for travel, meals, hotels, car rentals, oh, the struggle of it all. So this e-mail with the wonky rhetorical question about scrapping the US Clean Power Plan was really just one of about 10 climate emails that day.

Wow. I’m glad I opened it! And then sat unmoved, reading it. I know your time is valuable but you need to read this report, too.

It’s got the deliberately smart-alecky name of “Capitan America,” published by the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi. It’s got cartoons of a fat Uncle Sam sort of sitting on and squashing the rest of the world. Its general thesis: that the US ain’t doin’ much about this ol’ climate change thing. Yes, there was plenty of graceful dancing cheek-to-cheek at the recent Paris cotillion. But that hot dance floor was just a lot of sizzle and not much steak from Capitan America.

Here are some out-takes:

* “The electricity sector emissions in the US reduced 1.8 per cent annually (2005-2014) mainly due to the switch from coal to natural gas. Under the CPP, it will reduce only by 1.6 per cent from now on till 2030 which is worse than the business as usual. Even in 2030, about 60 per cent of US electricity will be produced from coal and gas.” (Emphasis added.)

* “We present a few inconvenient truths — one per chapter — that might throw cold water on the celebration. The US climate action plan is dramatic. But it is neither ambitious nor equitable. Worse, it is but business-as-usual. If implemented, we have analysed, emissions reduction will be marginal.”

* “We also know that if Americans continue their guzzle, it is not possible to expect the rest will not follow in their footsteps. The world — the US and us — cannot combat climate change without changing the way we drive, build homes or consume goods. The C-word is the C-word.”

Note the reference above to one inconvenient truth per chapter. The report starts with a close analysis of the US’ INDC, which the authors conclude is neither fair nor ambitious, that the US has so bullied the metrics that reductions from 2005 can look quite robust, but, in fact, are intentionally misleading. Subsequent chapters deliver a body blow to Americans’ unchanged investments and behaviors regarding private automobiles, conspicuous and bloated consumption, including many food issues, shopping malls, huge houses and buildings, in short, everything that, uh, pretty much most people just take for granted, and, critically, take it for granted that none of that activity and stuff will ever have to change! Even if you want to lower the temperature of a planet!

As important and provocative as this report is, it’s not the be-all and end-all of climate debates and whether or not certain activities are meaningful or not. The authors do not reference and cover some important and critical issues. But their basic reference and concern – that the US is hogging the final remaining “space” for carbon emissions, space desperately needed for development in very poor parts of the world – forms a critical presentation, one that needs to be read and thought about, particularly by people who are patting themselves on the back regarding US decisions and directions so far.

After you read Capitan America and if you want to start a dialogue on its critical tenets, please send a note – I’ll add it to the blog. You can stay anonymous if you want.

Oh by the way, just a few minutes after finishing my read I noticed the following headline on a so-called Internet “news site:”

“Why A Swimming Pool Needs An Internet Connection.”

Ahhh, living in the US and fighting climate change…! It’s tough!

Originally published in Regulatory Clarity on 18-02.2016



What will be the outcome of scrapping the US Clean Power Plan on its INDC?

It is interesting to see how the sudden demise of Antonin Scalia affects the US Supreme Court’s decision on the implementation of the US Clean Power Plan (CPP). Scalia was one of the five out of nine judges who had ruled in favour of blocking the CPP.

The Supreme Court’s decision means that the Environment Protection Agency will not be able to enforce the rules listed under the CPP until and unless the court decides on its legality. If the court decides to scrap the CPP, it would be major blow to President Barack Obama’s climate legacy.

The CPP is crucial for the US to meet its emissions reduction targets of 26-28 per cent by 2030 from the 2005 levels. The plan aims to reduce power sector emissions by 30 per cent below the 2005 levels by 2030 while delivering US $ 55-93 billion in annual net benefits from reducing carbon pollution and other harmful pollutants.

It is estimated that the CPP accounts for about 10 per cent of the reductions (see figure1) committed under the US INDC (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions) submitted in 2015.

Scrapping this plan may mean an increase in the global emissions by 680 million tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. This is equal to about a fourth of India’s emissions in 2012. Most of the energy efficiency and emission reduction improvements under this plan will be economically motivated. These would include technological improvements and fuel changes from coal to gas in a number of power plants across the US.

CSE’s analysis

Delhi-based non-profit Centre for science and Environment had earlier published a detailed report on the US climate action plan titled Capitan America. According to the report, the electricity sector emissions in the US reduced 1.8 per cent annually (2005-2014) mainly due to the switch from coal to natural gas.

Under the CPP, it will reduce only by 1.6 per cent from now on till 2030 which is worse than the business as usual. Even in 2030, about 60 per cent of US electricity will be produced from coal and gas.

In addition to the CPP, the US INDC also relies on energy efficiency improvements in its transport and manufacturing sectors. These include the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and standards for fuel efficiency in heavy-duty vehicles. These improvements in efficiency have, however, led to an increase in consumption trends.

Another key proposal that Obama has made in his so-called climate legacy involves reducing emissions by moving away from high global-warming gases—hydrofluorcarbons (HFCs) used mainly in refrigeration and air conditioning systems industry across the world.

It is proposed that phasing down HFCs will help in reducing 0.5 degrees Celsius by end of the century. Last year in Dubai, the US has been a major player in pushing hard for implementing the HFC phase down. The US stand on climate change is largely based on business interests of the associated industries and will not necessarily mitigate the emission impacts.

Originally published on Monday 15 February  2016 in Down to Earth

Speech at "Renewable Energy & Climate Change: Problems & Prospects" on February 11-12, 2016 at Shyam Lal College, Shahdara, Delhi

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen

I am humbled to speak in the presence of such an esteemed and experienced panel.

It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to address you all today and to deliver a strong message to fight climate change, one of the greatest challenges of our time.

Let me start by sharing the story of Radha, a widow from a village in Telangana. Her husband committed suicide because of the failure of crop. She has two children to raise but now also a farm to take care of. The crop is completely dependent on rain fed agriculture and with erratic power supply, it doesn't really help having a borewell.

The land she owns is seriously degraded; the water she drinks is not safe. While she enjoys great solidarity from neighbours and relatives, Radha's life is precarious. She witnesses changing conditions of her environment, which affect the productivity of her land. Though she had heard people speak about climate change, she had no clue that activities undertaken by fellow Humans, thousands of kilometres away from her village would affect her life.

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Sadly, This is a story not far from reality. Warming of the climate system is now evident from various scientific findings as well as from observations. As per Intergovernmental panel for Climate change (IPCC), extreme weather events are on the rise around the world. 2015 was  recorded as warmest year in the history. We are seeing more and more hailstorms, floods, droughts, cyclones than ever. Three out of the four metros are coastal cities, any disaster here will take years to cope with.

For a country like India, Climate change is a great challenge and a tremendous opportunity to move towards a low carbon, resource efficient and sustainable development society. Indeed development pathways influence climate change, and climate change could have significant impacts on development.

There is an urgent, but very simple, reason why we need to address the issue of climate change: the world is running out of carbon space. As per IPCC to stay under 2 degrees C, all we have is around 1000 Gt of Carbon space. Crossing that 2 degree target will only mean increase in extreme weather events which the world may not be ready to face. Infact, in the Paris agreement countries negotiated to try and keep the temperature under 1.5 degrees which would have been commendable if only an action plan to maintain it was also discussed.

We at CSE have analysed that to develop to a certain level, the required amount of carbon space is only going to come down in the future. We are only going to get more and more efficient but there is a need to apportioning of the global atmospheric commons, which is arguably the most important political challenge the world faces today.

India inspite of being the fourth largest emitter of CO2 has a Human development index of 0.6 and a per capita emissions 1.7 tonnes which is way below the world average. It is also because historically we have not emitted due to various reasons. The targets committed by India in the recent Paris conference to reduce its emission intensity and its commitment to increase the share of renewables  are commendable. It is evident that renewable energy is meant to grow, our energy potential is meant to grow but It is also evident that we need to change the way we do business if we want to grow efficiently. We have a billion aspiring people to provide more than just food, clothing and shelter.

In the run up to the Paris conference on climate change, there were 5 things india wanted in the Paris agreement text which will decide the way forward

1. Equity
2. CBDR
3. Loss and damage
4. Finance and tech transfer
5. Capacity building

What India got is the agreement under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC);

• a mention of the fact that this agreement will be guided by principle of equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR)
• the words climate Justice for some and Lifestyle changes in the preamble.
• A section on loss and development,
• Mention of finance but no clear guidelines

But if you observe the text carefully, you will notice that there are still some threads still left to negotiate further.

The reason why India was not able to get everything it rightfully deserves is also because it was pushed into corner for claiming that coal will still be the major source of energy in 2030 but its announcement of the solar alliance was seen as a major push from a developing country that they are serious about climate change.

Renewable energy not only stands out as a potential solution for reducing our emissions but also as a tool to place India as an efficient developing country in race for being a super power. As per some estimates all we need is a land as big as the Jodhpur district to provide electricity t everyone in this country. But it is not easy as it is being made to sound, there are many technical, financial issues to deal with first.

As per India’s climate action plan (INDC), in 2030 India will need triple the electricity demand it has now. It is a humongous challenge. Coal is proposed to be a major source of energy even in 2030. But the good news is that renewable energy is going to grow. India has committed to increase its share in non fossil fuel to 40% in installed capacity by 2030. When Renewable energy and Energy efficiency go hand in, the gains are only going to be bigger.

With the challenges ahead of us we have to enter a new era of partnerships. Over the last 10 to 15 years, leaders in the political, environmental, scientific, and economic fields have recognized that environment and climate change will require cooperation across disciplines, and that the solutions are not only technical but also connected to our moral obligations of providing a better life to all.

States, international organizations and the public sector in general are expected to push commitments and show political will to help policies that preserve our environment, create jobs and leave no one behind. We need leaders and champions, and it is by working together that we will achieve our sustainable development and climate action goals. Let morality and not economics alone drive the leaders.

This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is why we are here today. We may or may not know this, Radha from the story I told today and her poor family place high hopes in meetings like this where the next big change could happen.

Thank you very much.