The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) will collaborate with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) to host a roadshow with the aim of engaging stakeholders about the Hydrofluorocarbons Phase-Out Management Plan (HPMP) for South Africa.
The roadshow is scheduled to take place between June 12 and 21, in Midrand, Gauteng; in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal; in Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape; and Cape Town, in the Western Cape, and will focus on the aspects that relate to the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector.
The HPMP sets out a pathway for phasing out and subsequent elimination of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) – a group of manmade chemicals containing carbon, hydrogen and fluorine.
Successful elimination of the HFCs will boost the country’s efforts to address climate change.
In South Africa, HFCs are mostly used in the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector and currently there is no law that prohibits quantities of HFCs that are being imported or exported.
However, general imports and exports of HFCs are controlled by the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa’s Import and Export Regulations. To obtain such a permit requires a recommendation by the DEA.
The roadshow will also provide the DEA with an opportunity to report on progress with regard to climate change efforts in South Africa.