The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) manufacturers division chair Jim Flowers, HRAI president Warren Heeley and manager of HRAI divisional programs (manufacturers and wholesalers) Caroline Czajko represented HRAI at the annual meeting of the International Council of Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Heating Manufacturer’s Association (ICARHMA) held on October 24 in Kyoto, Japan. Topics discussed at this year’s meeting included non-tariff trade barriers, future trends that will impact the industry, emissions trading schemes, research programs evaluating alternative refrigerants, regulatory trends including environmental stewardship, energy efficiency and climate change. Members also received a report on ICARHMA’s involvement in the International Symposium on Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction, which was spearheaded by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the China Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry Association (CRAA). The symposium was held in Beijing during the 2012 China Refrigeration Show in September. ICARHMA is an organization of trade associations that represents the global HVAC/R industry. The nine members of ICARHMA represent over a US $225 billion industry and over 1000 manufacturers of heating, cooling, and refrigeration equipment.
