Atmosphere 2009, an international conference on natural refrigerants, will bring together 150+ participants from all over the world. As a national expert, industry representative or individual from a developing country that cannot attend, please send your questions to speakers and delegates as early as possible. 

Atmosphere 2009, a conference on hydrocarbons, ammonia, and carbon dioxide as a refrigerant, will be held on 19-20 October in Brussels, Belgium. The event, to include a workshop session exclusively dedicated to the use of hydrocarbons in different heating and refrigeration applications, has also sparked high interest outside Europe. Over the last weeks a considerable amount of statements regarding the use of natural refrigerants have reached the organising team from the Pacific region, from South-East Asia, South America and Africa, among others. While generally supportive of the use of natural working fluids as a replacement for fluorinated gases, one topic was mentioned several times: the lack of reliable information about the best use of natural refrigerants in different applications, as well as missing training and government support for research into a widespread use of natural refrigerants.

As a result, the organising team of Atmosphere 2009 has drafted a brief survey to find out about the perception as regards the switch to natural refrigerants in emerging economies, and about major information needs and the most appropriate formats to exchange knowledge between developed and developing countries.

Your questions to Atmosphere 2009

Most importantly, the survey leaves space for up to four questions that will be selected and put to the 150+ participants meeting this month in Brussels. Questions received so far indicate a high level of interest in concrete promoting mechanism that could spur the move away from high global warming or ozone-depleting substances, but also criticism in the lack of information and support from international and national bodies. Questions received until next Thursday, 15 October, will be integrated in the panel discussions with the audience and speakers, the latter representing UNEP, TEAP, the European Commission, the World Bank, as well as national governments from Germany and Great Britain, industry experts, and NGOs. Questions to be considered can range from general ones about applicable policy frameworks and incentive mechanisms, but also specific technical ones about the use of a certain natural refrigerant in your country.

If you are a national expert, an industry representative, or concerned individual from a developing country interested in the use of natural refrigerants, please fill in the very short survey, and, if possible, ask questions you consider to be the most pressing ones to be answered.

The survey is available at: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/183715/survey-natural-refrigerants-in-developing-countries

and/or directly send your single questions to info@atmosphere2009.com