ARC retains control of licensing scheme

THE Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) will continue administering the national refrigeration and air-conditioning licence scheme for up to nine more years, having successfully renewed its contract with the federal government.

Controlling the handling and trade of refrigerants through measures such as licensing, as the ARC has done since 2005, has so far resulted in preventing the equivalent of 24.37 megatonnes of CO2 from being emitted to the atmosphere.

There are now 90,000 ARCtick licence holders and the number keeps increasing despite uncertainty over refrigerants related to the global HFC phase-down.

ARC chairman Kevin O’Shea, credited the hard work of industry and the vital role climate control plays in the modern world with enabling the licensing scheme to continue.

“The RAC industry is vital to modern life. Without it, surgery can’t be performed and supermarkets and laboratories won’t function properly. Our industry also leads the world in environmental stewardship, with access to cutting-edge technologies,” he said.

“And not only that, the higher skill level within the industry has directly delivered improved environmental outcomes, consumer protection and energy efficiency, through better quality services and work practices.”