End-of-Life Management in the Cooling Sector

Cutting refrigerant emissions – protecting the climate & the ozone layer 

Demand for cooling and air conditioning is consistently rising; the globally installed cooling capacity is forecasted to almost triple between now and 2050. Without sustainable solutions and management, substances from cooling and heating equipment trapped in these systems feed a vicious cycle, thereby accelerating climate change and damaging the ozone layer. Did you know that refrigerants no longer in use are estimated at 13.4 Gt CO₂-eq? Some refrigerants have a Global Warming Potential (GWP) above 10,000. 

The Climate and Ozone Protection Alliance – COPA - was initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action in 2021 through an IKI project. Since then, COPA has paved the way for a sector-enhanced global environmental stewardship of cooling substances. Today, 2026, COPA has more than 80 active members, an elected Steering Committee, a Secretariat provided by UNIDO and UNDP, and a strong commitment to life-cycle-based refrigerant management. 

In the IKI Brown Bag Lunch, highlights from COPA’s pilot work in policy, technology, financing and implementation during the IKI project and beyond will be shared.

To register online for the event, please click here.