International Environmental Update

1
International Environmental Update

• Tom Cortina
• Halon Alternatives Research Corporation
• IASFPWG Meeting
• February 15, 2005
• Ottawa, Canada

2
Kyoto Protocol - Background

• Adopted in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan
• Worldwide differentiated target of 5.2 reduction
  from 1990 levels between 2008-2012
• CO2, CH4, N20, HFCs, PFCs, SF6
• EU (-8), Japan (-6), U.S. (-7)
• No international policies and measures
• maintenance of national flexibility

3
Kyoto Protocol Status

• Russia officially ratified the Kyoto Protocol on
  November 18, 2004
• 129 countries have ratified representing 61.6 of
  global GHG emissions
• 55 countries representing 55 of global GHG
  emissions needed for entry into force
• Kyoto Protocol officially enters into force on
  February 16, 2005

4
United States

• U.S. will not become a party to Kyoto Protocol
• Focused on voluntary programs to address GHGs
• U.S. position unlikely to change in the next four
  years - although growing interest in Congress
• No indication that U.S. plans to engage in
  post-Kyoto discussions

5
Europe

• EU emissions trading scheme
• Major industries such as oil, steel, cement,
  glass, and paper have a CO2 cap starting in 2005
• Companies that cannot meet their cap can purchase
  emission credits from companies whose emissions
  are below their cap
• Recent calls for transportation emissions (air
  travel) to be included

6
Impact on HFCs

• U.S. unlikely to regulate HFCs beyond SNAP -
  voluntary programs
• EU regulation on fluorinated gases focuses on
  containment, recycling, training, and reporting -
  does not restrict use of HFCs for fire protection
• Prohibits use of PFCs for fire protection
• Second reading before EU Parliament expected in
  April - final in 2005

7
IPCC Special Report

• IPCC, with cooperation from TEAP, is producing a
  special report on HFCs and PFCs
• Intended to assist countries in making informed
  decisions when evaluating ODS alternatives
• Fire protection chapter will be about 15 pages of
  a 400-page report
• Final draft released for review last week -
  approval at IPCC meeting in April

8
Montreal Protocol

• Decision XV/11 calls for the TEAP to engage in
  discussions with ICAO to develop a timely plan
  of action to consider modifying the regulatory
  requirements that mandate the use of halons on
  new airframes
• HTOC co-chair and members met with ICAO in
  November and developed an action plan

9
Montreal Protocol

• Decision XV/11 action plan
• HTOC will submit an article for the ICAO Journal
• HTOC will project halon supply, cost and
  emissions
• ICAO will issue a State Letter in 2006, inviting
  States to require the use of proven alternatives
  in newly designed aircraft

10
Montreal Protocol

• Decision XV/11 action plan
• ICAO Secretariat will introduce an ICAO/HTOC
  working paper at the 2007 ICAO assembly
• Requirement for States to use proven alternatives
  in new airframe designs beginning 2009
• HTOC will meet in March in Germany to begin work
  on halon supply and emission estimates

11
EPA Report on Aviation

• In September 2004 U.S. EPA released a report by
  ICF/Hughes entitled Review of the Transition
  Away From Halons in U.S. Civil Aviation
  Applications
• Report was intended to evaluate the barriers to
  the implementation of halon alternatives in
  commercial aircraft

12
EPA Report on Aviation

• Major findings
• Fire scenarios in FAA MPSs are realistic
• MPSs for lavatory, hand-held, and engine/APU
  provide equivalent level of safety to halons
• Questions about cargo MPS due to alternative
  aerosol can test
• Alternatives to halons are available that meet
  MPS requirements for all applications except
  engine/APU

13
EPA Report on Aviation

• Barriers identified
• Lack of regulatory mandate to replace halons
• Regulatory concerns associated with some
  alternatives
• Space, weight, and cost penalties
• Lack of effective leadership within aviation
  community in setting non-regulatory halon
  phaseout targets or goals

14
EPA Report on Aviation

• Conclusons
• Commercial aircraft is only sector where there
  has been no implementation of halon alternatives
  in new or existing equipment
• Process to design, conform, qualify, and certify
  new extinguishing systems on commercial aircraft
  must be made a priority by industry and approval
  authorities or it will continue to present major
  barrier to halon transition - example is lavatory
  systems