According to UNEP ROWA, the Symposium provided a platform for participants to initiate regional initiatives for the air-conditioning industry, as well as the coordination of a harmonized minimum energy performance standard along the obligations of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
20 October 2012: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA), together with the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), the ASHRAE-Emirates Falcon Chapter, and the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), convened the 2nd Symposium on Alternative Refrigerants in High-Ambient Temperature Countries.
The Symposium, which took place from 16-17 October 2012, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), provided a platform for participants to initiate regional initiatives for the air-conditioning industry, as well as the coordination of a harmonized minimum energy performance standard along the obligations of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol).
According to UNEP, air-conditioning contributes to above 50% of domestic energy demand in some countries like the Gulf States. The efficiency of air-conditioning systems is therefore a compelling component of future strategies and national plans.
The Symposium also reviewed the development of alternative technologies and promoted the involvement of research institutes to work towards identifying long-term solutions to address the joint regional challenge of air-conditioning. [UNEP Press Release]