ASHRAE Responds to U.S. Paris Accord Announcement

The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) issued a statement on June 2 saying the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement “does not change or alter ASHRAE’s commitment to accelerate the transformation to a more sustainable global built environment.”

Tim Wentz, president of the Society, said, “Our mission will not waiver as geopolitical tides rise and fall. Now, more than ever, ASHRAE affirms its mission to advance the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world.”

ASHRAE, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is a global Society of 57,000 professionals in more than 130 countries, committed to reducing the environmental impact of buildings by making them more energy efficient. ASHRAE recently announced a $1.3 million investment in researching alternative low-GWP (global warming potential) refrigerants.

“The Society will continue to establish best practice standards for the design and operation of buildings that have lower environmental impacts and concurrently optimize health and human comfort for occupants,” says Wentz.

“Our Society remains dedicated to engineering excellence in environmental stewardship. In fact, the recent Paris Accord announcement makes the critical role of ASHRAE members in reducing the environmental impact of buildings more important than ever before.”