Speaking recently to an audience of air conditioning and refrigeration engineers attending the International Congress of Refrigeration in Beijing, Robert Wilkins, President of Danfoss, Inc. and 2007 Chairman of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), issued a clear call to action for the residential and commercial air conditioning and commercial refrigeration industry.

According to the organization’s press release, he appealed to the delegates for greater research and technology development to help solve the world’s energy and environmental challenges. The global air conditioning and refrigeration industry has a vital mandate to address energy supply, efficiency and environmental challenges through increased research and innovation, according to Wilkins.  Historically, actions by this industry have led to revolutionary benefits for societies worldwide. These improvements to quality of life include dramatic lessening of environmental impact of refrigerants, increased global workplace productivity through indoor comfort and health, greatly increased access to fresher food supplies through commercial and mobile refrigeration and significantly improved safety and longevity of medical supplies through refrigeration.

“How we address these challenges will determine where we will be as an industry when we approach the middle of the 21st century,” is the message Wilkins delivered in Beijing. Wilkins outlined a vision of an industry energy and environmental program based on four tenets:  Energy efficiency, responsible refrigerant use, standards development, and performance certification. Wilkins explained, “Only those whose products have undergone rigorous, third-party testing can actually prove that their products are as efficient as advertised. That is the way to ensure maximum energy efficiency.”