COP26: our hope for the Earth’s future

Specifically, COP26 will be attended by around 30,000 people: heads of state, UN officials, climate experts, activists, environmental organisations, and businessmen, to define guidelines and common action to follow for the sake of the planet.

Back from a one-year stop caused by the pandemic emergency, the 26th Conference of the Parties aims to recover not only time but also value, given the criticism that the 25th edition, held in Madrid in 2019, took with it. The pre-Covid19 Conference, in fact, had ended in a deadlock: negotiations on the global carbon market hadn’t reached a concrete agreement which, therefore, had been postponed to the next edition.

So, it is natural that experts and officials have very high expectations for this year’s edition. One of the most important actions to be taken seems to be limiting global warming to 1,5°C (instead of 2°C).

Among the various sectors contributing to the problem, unfortunately, there is also the one of HVAC/R. As Errecom has repeatedly emphasised in its press releases, masterclasses or webinars for technicians, and conferences in which R&D experts have taken part as speakers, the maintenance of air conditioning and refrigeration systems can no longer be considered an optional action for environmental purposes. The presence of micro-leaks in a refrigeration or air conditioning system, not only reduces its performance, causing waste of energy but also leads the refrigerant gas to get in contact with the atmosphere. Unless we are talking about the latest low-GWP refrigerants, the consequences are devastating for the greenhouse effect (if the system contains chlorofluorocarbons) and for global warming (in the case of hydrofluorocarbons).

From COP26 then, we expect strict measures, motivation to change and, above all, the establishment of a climate of international cooperation from which companies and citizens can also draw inspiration. But now, let’s leave it to the experts and see if our expectations meet reality.