The Japan Refrigerationand Air Conditioning Industry Association (JRAIA) organizes and sponsors the International Symposium on New Refrigerants and Environmental Technology 2008, which is taking place on November 20th – 21st, 2008, at the Kobe International Conference Center.

With the co-sponsorship (tentative) of the International Council of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Manufacturers' Associations (ICARMA), the Brazilian Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Ventilation Industry Association (ABRAVA), the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), the China Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association (CRAA), the European Committee of Air-Handling, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturers (EUROVENT-CECOMAF), the Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) and the Korea Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry Association (KRAIA), the symposium starts on November 20th with an opening address by Tatsuo Yada, Mayor of  Kobe, and Kiyonobu Toma, JRAIA’s Chairman, followed by two keynote addresses, one by Zenta Senoo, Deputy Director, Ozone Layer Protection Policy Office, Japanese  Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the other by Stephen O. Andersen, Director of Strategic Climate Projects, Climate Protection Partnership Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The first technical session focuses on environmental issues, featuring presentations by CRAA on ODS phase-out overview and development in China, and by Asada on latest technologies for refrigerant recovery and application to energy-saving refrigerant recovery operation, among others. There will be more technical sessions during the day focusing on new refrigerants, future buildings and its HVAC systems, mobile air conditioners and energy conservation. The following and last day of the conference will continue the discussion of most of the issues stated above, plus techical sessions on lubricants and compressors. Finally, the symposium will feature a varied poster session, reveals the organizer’s press release.