Kigali Network submits a final proposal for the revision of the labeling for refrigerators

The Kigali Network participated in a public hearing of INMETRO and submitted the final proposal for the revision of the labeling for refrigerators. On July 15, a meeting consolidated the final text of the ordinance with the organizations, companies and individuals who had contributed. It was a long process. From March 29 to May 31, the agency placed the proposed revision of the label in a Public Consultation in order to receive contributions from civil society. Below, it is possible to see the differences between the proposal that the Kigali Network sent for the revision and the analysis of the proposal accepted by INMETRO:

Kigali Network Proposals

• From July 2022, the level for Class A of the labeling would follow the minimum criteria of the 2014 Energy Star, which is an international standard for efficient consumption from the United States, and without the A+, A++ and A+++ subclasses, which confuse the consumer.

• From 2024 onwards, the UN U4E criteria would be wholly adopted, without all the factors introduced by INMETRO for this phase.

Analysis of the INMETRO Ordinance

• From June 2022 to 2025, class A of the current labeling is divided into A, A+, A++ and A+++ and the other rules are maintained.

• From 2026 to 2030, the A subdivisions are removed and there is a return to A, B, C, D and E. The rules for calculating the index of energy efficiency seek alignment with the recommendations of the UN efficiency program, the U4E (United for Efficiency). However, new factors are introduced that significantly weaken these recommendations.

• From 2031: the U4E rules, but still maintaining some of the new factors that weaken the energy efficiency of the recommendations.

Unfortunately, the published ordinance is far removed from what the Network had suggested, especially in relation to the deadlines for more efficient equipment: it will be 10 years until the Brazilian labels adopt the most demanding standards of the U4E. However, by then, it is possible that they will already be obsolete and there will be others that are more up-to-date and robust. The Kigali Network invited the manufacturers at the meeting, who were interested in bringing forward the deadlines for the labels and making their equipment more efficient, to discuss these issues.