Feds introduce Offset Credits for Commercial/Industrial Refrigeration and A/C System Upgrades

The Federal Government has introduced a new protocol, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Refrigeration Systems, to encourage businesses to upgrade their refrigeration and air-conditioning systems to ones that use refrigerants with lower global warming potentials (GWPs) by rewarding them with offset credits that they can sell to generate revenue.

Commercial or industrial facilities suitable to participate include: ice rinks, office buildings, retail grocery stores, shopping centres, food processing plants, industrial parks and cold storage warehouses.

When one of these businesses upgrades or replaces their refrigeration or air-conditioning system, they may be eligible to earn a credit.

Each credit represents one tonne of emissions and is tradeable to facilities regulated under the federal pollution pricing system for industrial emitters to help these facilities with compliance costs and maintain business competitiveness.

Credits can also be sold to others who will use them to meet voluntary emission reduction targets or net-zero commitments.

The Federal Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System is among several measures that Canada is taking to reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 (Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan).