I. Title of the Best Practice

II. Overview of the Best Practice

The Voluntary Agreements were introduced by the UK government in 1996. The agreements were made in the context of the Rio climate change targets, which were to return greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2000.

The main aims of the agreements were to encourage users to develop strategies to minimise HFC emissions and to ensure that they are not used if safe, practical and more environmentally acceptable alternatives are available. Industry agreed to take steps to ensure that HFC emissions are minimised through industry guidance and best practice covering production, equipment manufacture, operation, maintenance and disposal. In addition, industry is required to report annually to DETR on the use of, and emission of, HFCs.

Agreements have been made with the main UK users and producers of HFCs namely: the aerosol industry, the fire industry (for use of PFCs and HFCs in fire fighting agents), the foam industry, the automotive air conditioning industry and the air conditioning and refrigeration industry.

The voluntary agreements have been well received by industry and have been regarded as a co-operative way to do business. They have helped raise awareness of climate change issues through the industry and have therefore encouraged a move towards best practice. Actual reductions in HFCs brought about as a result of Voluntary Agreements are, however, not quantifiable to date.

The UK government gave a commitment in the recent Climate Change Consultation Paper to review the agreements in view of the Kyoto Protocol targets. This review is currently underway, and discussions have begun with industry looking at how the agreements may be strengthened.

III. Categorizing the Best Practice

1. Classifications
( ) Regulatory approach
( X ) Practical action
( ) Social network mechanism

2. Social actions involved
( ) Citizens
( X ) Central Government
( ) Local Government
( X ) Business

3. Sector(s)
( ) Energy
( ) Household
( ) Transportation
( X ) Industrial enterprises
( ) Other (Non-Industrial) Business
( ) Agriculture/land use/forestry
( ) Other

4. Target greenhouse gas(es)
( ) CO2
( ) CH4
( ) N2O
( X ) HFC
( X ) PFC
( ) SF6
( ) Other

IV. List of Attachments

Example voluntary agreement - between the UK Government and the Fire Industry

V. Contact details

Contact Person:	Philip Callaghan
Organization:	Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions
Email:	Philip_Callaghan@detr.gsi.gov.uk
Tel:	00 44 171 890 5235
Fax:	00 44 171 890 5219
Address:	Global Atmosphere Division DETR 3/A3 Ashdown House 123 Victoria Street London SW1E 6DE

VOLUNTARY AGREEMENT BETWEEN UK GOVERNMENT AND THE FIRE INDUSTRY CONCERNING THE USE OF HFC AND PFC FIRE FIGHTING AGENTS

"Climate Change - The UK Programme", published by the Government in January 1994, sets out to fulfil the commitments contained in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC). It outlines measures aimed at returning emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by the year 2000. The most notable of these are CO2, (except where used for fire protection), methane and N2O, but reference is also made to other gases including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs) because of their high global warming potentials. HFCs and PFCs are being commercialised as replacements for ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons.

A stated aim of the Programme is to avoid damaging current efforts to phase out ozone depleting substances, and the Government recognises that the accelerated and successful halon production phaseout is due in part to the commercialisation of replacement systems using HFCs and the potential availability of systems using PFCs.

The Government confirms that there is no plan to ban the production or import of HFCs and PFCs for fire fighting applications which are considered as non-emissive uses, except for their very rare use in the actual suppression of fires when the control strategies set out below are applied. The Government further accepts that the use of HFCs or PFCs is appropriate in fire fighting applications where careful evaluation shows them to be the best choice when other practical considerations of personnel safety, cleanliness, speed of suppression, space, weight and cost are taken into account.

The UK fire industry fully supports the Government's objective of progressive reduction in emissions of potentially global warming gases, and when evaluating alternative fire suppression agents, minimising global warming will be one of the issues considered. However, the fire industry's overriding concern remains that there should be no resultant threat to people and property whose safety is protected by their products. With the aim of ensuring that both these ends are achieved, the fire industry, therefore, voluntarily agrees that the strategies set out below will be applied.

Emission Control Strategies:

• Use leak-free storage equipment to BS 5306, BS EN3: 1996, BS 7867: 1997 and BS 7863: 1996 or equivalents.
• Use approved, high quality detection systems to BS 5839 and BS EN54 or equivalent.
• Use approved control equipment to BS 7273 or equivalent.
• Ensure that installations are inspected regularly in accordance with the relevant BS.
• Eliminate the discharge of agent in system testing unless required by regulation.
• Support the Government in pressing for the revision of such regulations.
• Eliminate discharge of agent in training.
• Reclaim agent for re-use.
• Recycle using facilities registered with HUNC and listed to FIC Code of Practice.

The Fire Protection Industry undertakes to report annually to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in the first half of the following year on the mass of greenhouse gases and its global warming CO2 equivalent emitted from fire protection systems in the United Kingdom, commencing January 1997.

The Government and the fire protection industry undertake to meet at least annually to review this voluntary agreement and any actions resulting from it.

September 1997

APPENDIX TO FIC VOLUNTARY AGREEMENT

BS 5306 Part 3: 1985 - Code of Practice for Selection, Installation and Maintenance of Portable Fire Extinguishers

• BS 5306 Part 4: 1986 - Specification for Carbon Dioxide Systems
• BS 5306 Section 5.1: 1992 - Specification for Halon 1301 Total Flooding Systems

BS EN3: 1996 - Portable Fire Extinguishers (Parts 1-6 as appropriate)

BS 7867: 1997 - Specification for Portable Fire Extinguishers for use in Aircraft

BS 7863: 1996 - Recommendations for Colour Coding to Indicate the Extinguishing Media Contained in Portable Fire Extinguishers

BS 5839 part 1: 1988 - Fire Detection and Alarm Systems in Buildings Code of Practice for System Design, Installation and Servicing

BS EN54: 1996 - Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems

BS 5839 Part 4 - Specification for Control and Indicating Equipment

BS 6266: 1992 - Code of Practice for Fire Protection for Electronic Data Processing Installations

• BS EN27201-1: 1994 - Code of Practice for Safe Handling and Transfer Procedures

BS 7273 - Code of Practice for the Operation of Fire Protection Measures:

Part 1: 1990 - Electrical Actuation of Gaseous Total Flooding Extinguishing Systems

Part 2: 1992 - Mechanical Actuation of Gaseous Total Flooding and Local Application Extinguishing Systems

BS 7327 Part 1: 1990 - Specification for Small Fixed Fire Extinguishers

* NOTE
The standards applicable to Halon and CO2 have been included because of the absence of standards for the new extinguishants and should be used as a guide to current practice where appropriate.