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The Copenhagen climate talks are over, a new year has started and where do the three leading powers in environmental protection see their priorities? The fight against climate change and stronger implementation of renewable energies seems to still rank high on the agendas of UN, EU and US. Can these priorities facilitate a stronger market penetration of natural refrigerants?

The American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has outlined 7 key themes to focus the agency’s action, three of which are:

• Taking Action on Climate Change: continuation of greenhouse gas reduction initiatives; further enacting of clean energy and climate legislation; finalising of mobile sources rules and formulation of a framework for continuous improvement through the Clean Air Act; continuation of the Energy Star programme to expand cost-saving energy conservation and efficiency programs;
• Improving Air Quality: development of a comprehensive strategy for a cleaner and more efficient power sector; strong emission reductions goals for SO₂, NO_x, mercury etc.; strengthening of ambient air quality standards for pollutants such as PM, SO₂ and NO₂; addition reductions in air toxics from industrial facilities;
• Assuring the Safety of Chemicals: modernising the Toxic Substance Control Act; filling data gabs on widely produced chemicals in commerce; rigorous, peer-reviewed health assessments on dioxins, arsenic, formaldehyde, TCE and other substances of concern;

The EPA’s goals to reduce CO₂ emissions, move forward in the fight against climate change and enforce the safety of chemical substances, opens the door for natural refrigerants which replace unsafe substances with high global warming potential.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon equally grouped the United Nations’ strategic priorities around 7 key areas headed by sustainable development and closely followed by the need for a binding agreement on the fight against climate change as well as the necessity to deliver on commitments made to date. These commitments include efforts to keep a potential global temperature rise under 2 degrees Celsius, actions to reduce or limit emissions, and pledges to mobilise $100 billion a year for developing countries to combat climate change.

According to Mr Ban the UN plans furthermore on launching a high-level Panel on Climate Change and Sustainable Development supposed to deliver its own recommendations on the way ahead.

CO₂ emissions reductions and energy efficiency

Climate Commissioner to be, Ms Hedegaard, stressed in her 3 hour hearing in the EU Parliament last week that legislation on energy efficiency and CO₂ emissions reductions is already in place but "must now be implemented properly". She conceded, however, that given the rapid technological progress, legislation such as on CO₂ emissions from passenger cars needs frequent revision.

In the meantime, in his own hearing, German candidate for the EU energy portfolio, Günther Oettinger, said he was open to establishing binding targets for energy efficiency and setting more ambitious targets with regards to the contribution that renewable technologies, such as heat pumps, should make to the EU's energy mix after 2020.

Considering the strong emphasis that EU, UN and US put on energy efficiency, market prospects for technical applications such as heat pumps or refrigeration systems using natural refrigerants which have convincingly proven to be energy efficient and environmentally friendly, look promising for the years to come.