HYDROFLUOROCARBONS AND SUPERMARKET REFRIGERATION

That this House draws attention to the significant role supermarket refrigeration plays in reducing the UK's greenhouse gas emissions; notes that hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) can be up to 14,000 times more harmful in terms of global warming than carbon dioxide; is concerned that HFCs, used in supermarket refrigeration units, account for one third of the carbon footprint of most supermarkets; welcomes the progress made by certain supermarkets by reducing their use of HFCs, as highlighted by the Environmental Investigation Agency in its 2009 report, Chilling Facts; further notes that many large retailers are calling for legislation to phase out HFCs in the supermarket sector; and calls on the Government to promote the use of HFC-free refrigeration and to introduce legislation to phase out HFCs in large supermarkets as a matter of urgency.