Reno, Nevada — êffecterra, a global consulting firm providing technical solutions to sustainability challenges, has joined the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) as a Platinum Member.
The firm, which also has an office in London, helps companies establish and achieve their corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. They work with organizations to reduce their carbon footprint by addressing existing infrastructure assets, designing, developing, and deploying optimized solutions and advising on the maintenance of those systems. The firm has assisted companies across localities and industries to identify opportunities to reduce their environmental impact in many areas, including electrification of heat and a specialization in refrigerant management and refrigeration and HVAC technologies. Members of the êffecterra team have been on the forefront of transitioning to natural refrigerants both in the US and the EU.
NASRC is an action-oriented 501c3 nonprofit working to advance the use of natural refrigerants in supermarkets. The organization collaborates across every sector of the supermarket refrigeration industry to address the barriers preventing the widespread adoption of natural refrigerants.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia and propane have zero or near-zero global warming potential (GWP), making them climate-friendly and future-proof natural alternatives to hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants (HFCs). However, unique market challenges — such as upfront cost premiums, service readiness, and technology availability — have prevented the wide scale adoption of natural refrigerants in US supermarkets.
“The necessity for a carbon negative future simply isn’t possible without addressing refrigerants,” shares êffecterra’s co-founder and chief operating officer, Tristam Coffin. “Natural refrigerants aren’t the sole solution, but they are a critical and unfortunately underutilized mechanism that should and can be leveraged whenever and wherever possible. Refrigeration, be it supermarket or otherwise, is a prime opportunity for naturals like CO2.”
NASRC’s mission has become increasingly important amidst global efforts to transition away from HFCs, which are super-polluting greenhouse gasses that trap heat in the atmosphere at thousands of times the rate of CO2. Policymakers around the world have begun to view the shift away from HFCs in supermarkets as low-hanging fruit to achieve targets for reducing GHG emissions.
In the US, the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act has directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to phase down production and consumption of HFCs in the United States by 85% by 2036. This mirrors the global efforts reflected in the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. The AIM Act will also facilitate the transition to next-generation refrigeration technologies and establish requirements for the management and reclamation of refrigerants.
In addition, some states have enacted restrictions on HFCs that go beyond the federal requirements. California has introduced stringent regulations that will require the use of refrigerants with a GWP of less than 150 in new stores, as well as the reduction of GWP use in existing stores by 2030. Washington and New York are also establishing more stringent regulations that go beyond federal rules.
Addressing the barriers to natural refrigerants in supermarkets is a critical step to ease the burden of new regulatory pressures and accelerate the transition to natural refrigerants, and NASRC is leading the charge in partnership with the industry. “Our mission is a collective approach to joining talent and technology to provide action, not just advice, to accelerate climate solutions globally, at scale and pace,” shares êffecterra’s co-founder, President and former NASRC board member Michael May. “Like the NASRC, we believe sustainable refrigeration solutions, specifically natural refrigerant technologies, must be accelerated to combat climate change.”
êffecterra is a valued industry partner and brings a deep expertise of the commercial refrigeration industry and sustainable refrigeration solutions. Last fall, the company’s co-founder and chief operating officer, longtime Whole Foods Market veteran and NASRC founding Board Member Tristam Coffin, gave a presentation about strategies to achieve zero emissions in supermarket refrigeration at NASRC’s Sustainable Refrigeration Summit.
“We are thrilled to welcome êffecterra to our network,” said NASRC executive director, Danielle Wright. “The team brings valuable experiences and expertise from across the supermarket refrigeration industry, and we know they will be a strong partner to help build a sustainable future for supermarket refrigeration.”
NASRC’s membership network represents stakeholders from virtually every sector of the supermarket refrigeration industry. This includes more than 38,000 US food retail locations, along with service contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, consultants, engineering firms, trade associations, distributors, and nonprofits.
More information about êffecterra is available at https://effecterra.com/