The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC), a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit working to advance climate-friendly natural refrigerants in supermarkets, has announced that registration is now open for their Sustainable Refrigeration Summit. The free virtual event takes place October 24 – 28 and will highlight solutions to climate-damaging refrigerants.
“To do this, we need all stakeholders at the table, ready to drive solutions.”
“We have a huge opportunity to solve one of the biggest environmental problems facing supermarkets,” said Danielle Wright, NASRC executive director. “To do this, we need all stakeholders at the table, ready to drive solutions.”
The summit sessions will feature the latest regulatory and industry trends, natural technologies, and the benefits and challenges of moving towards sustainable solutions. Attendees will hear directly from the supermarkets, industry experts, and policymakers shaping the future of sustainable refrigeration.
Hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants (HFCs) are super-polluting greenhouse gases (GHGs) commonly used in supermarket refrigeration. HFCs are the world’s fastest-growing GHGs and one of the most potent drivers of climate change. Under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, federal regulations will phase down HFC refrigerant emissions by 85% by 2036, with several states also developing HFC regulations.
As a result, supermarkets face tremendous pressure to transition from high global warming HFCs to climate-friendly alternatives. Natural refrigerants, including ammonia, CO2, and propane, have zero or near-zero global warming potential and are considered future-proof from a regulatory standpoint. Still, a unique set of market barriers have prevented widespread adoption in U.S. supermarkets.
“This is one of the rare climate issues where the technology solution exists today,” said Wright. “To overcome the challenges and make meaningful progress, we need all hands on deck, and that’s what this summit is designed to do.”
