Dear colleagues,
Dear friends,
Growing importance and duties for a better industry: this is our sector for 2022
Over the last two years, we have witnessed more than ever that contractors are fundamental for our daily lives: they design, install and maintain RACHP equipment, to ensure safety, reliability and efficiency in all essential services such as supermarkets, hospitals, data centres and workplaces.
AREA is proud of the work done by all its members on the most topical points of discussion for our sector: illegal trade of F-gases, the European Green Deal and F-Gas Regulation review. We would like to emphasise that its members are concerned with the continuously growing market demand for raw materials and skilled workers, both of which are lacking, which impacts on operational costs for many EU industries, especially concerning non-polluting cooling and heating solutions.
In 2021, AREA has issued concrete proposals on the extension of the F-gas certification scheme to alternative refrigerants. The proposals are based on the concept of ‘alternative refrigerant greenhouse gases’ that would make it possible to capture most alternative refrigerants whilst respecting the legal scope of the F-gas Regulation. AREA pleads for mandatory certification on alternative refrigerants as a necessary complement to the existing F-gas provisions and in order to ensure safe and efficient handling of these refrigerants that are gradually replacing fluorinated greenhouse gases.
I believe our proposals are solid. They are an essential and much needed step forward for the European Union, which could also be taken as an example globally.
I hope the global scientific community’s great achievements will allow us to soon overcome the pandemic we are living in, and that already in 2022, we will be able to meet up more freely, exchange knowledge and work together. I am thinking of the two most relevant exhibitions of the year for the HVACR sector, i.e. Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE) in Milano (Italy) and Chillventa in Nuremberg (Germany).
We have a lot of work ahead of us, in particular the revision of the following Directives or Regulations:
- Fgas
- Energy Performance in Buildings EPBD
- Renewable Energy Sources
- Energy Efficiency
- EcoDesign and Ecolabelling
AREA is active and present directly or indirectly in each of the above discussions with the EU Institutions.
I am always grateful for the great cooperation we have with and among our members, and I am looking forward to further developing our international connections: in a global industry and for global problems, we need and propose global solutions.
Now we live in a global network and AREA is also proud to be partner with International organisations. Such close collaboration is reflected in MoUs with:
- the United Nations Environment Programme, leading body in the Kigali Amendments and the global phase down of High GWP refrigerants keeping the high energy efficiency of the systems
- our sister Association in Africa, U-3ARC
- ISHRAE in India
- TRA in Thailand
We hope you get the most from AREA work at EU level and global partnerships for an even stronger cooperation and business for your industry.
It is my big pleasure to wish a very happy and healthy New Year 2022 to all the readers around the world.