Cool Up: Upscaling Sustainable Cooling

Energy demand in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is projected to increase by 50 % by 2040 due to climate change, rapidly growing populations, urbanisation, and higher living standards. Cooling represents a large portion of energy consumption, and appliances are often inefficient and rely on refrigerants with a high global warming potential. To tackle these problems and mitigate climate change, the Cool Up program promotes accelerated technological change and early implementation of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and Paris Agreement in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. The Cool Up approach is based on four pillars: reducing cooling demand, phasing down hydrofluorocarbons, replacing and recycling inefficient equipment and refrigerants, and training and raising awareness. The program aims to create catalytic change in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector and ultimately upscale the deployment of sustainable cooling technologies in the market.

Project data

Countries: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye
IKI funding: 19,999,726.00 €
Included preparation phase: 756,576.00 €
Duration: 12/2020 till 01/2027
Status: open
Implementing organisation: Guidehouse Germany GmbH
Political Partner: Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change (MoEUCC) - Türkiye

Ministry of Environment - Jordan

Ministry of Environment - Lebanon

Ministry of Environment MoE - Egypt
Implementing Partner: Frankfurt School of Finance & Management gGmbH

Institut für Luft- und Kältetechnik gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mbH (ILK Dresden)

Integrated Development Group (IDG)

National Energy Research Center (NERC) - Jordan

Öko-Recherche GmbH

Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Online: https://www.coolupprogramme.org/

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State of implementation/results

In May 2025, during an online-seminar titled “Why Refrigerant Choice Matters – Complying with the Kigali Amendment and Avoiding Environmental Harm Caused by ‘Forever Chemicals’,” the Cool Up project explored the environmental risks associated with PFAS and their impact on the cooling sector in Türkiye (www.coolupprogramme.org/…).
In January 2025, a National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP) workshop in Türkiye represented a significant milestone within the Cool Up project. The event gathered 81 participants, including representatives from major government bodies, industry associations, financial institutions, academia, and consortium partners, promoting fruitful discussions and cross-sector collaboration (www.coolupprogramme.org/…).
From 11.11. to 22.11.2024, the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29) took place in Baku, Azerbaijan. As the primary forum for global climate negotiations under the UNFCCC, COP29 gathered leaders, policymakers, scientists, and civil society to tackle the climate crisis and further the objectives of the Paris Agreement. The Cool Up project made a significant contribution to the conference through impactful side events, highlighting sustainable cooling and climate resilience as essential elements of climate action (www.coolupprogramme.org/…).
From 28.10. to 01.11.2024, the 36th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP36) was held in Bangkok, Thailand. This event united international delegates, environmental specialists, industry leaders, and policymakers to tackle essential issues related to ozone layer protection and climate change mitigation. Cool Up played an active role by organizing three side events that highlighted energy-efficient cooling technologies, sustainable refrigeration practices, and regional strategies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This year's agenda focused on strategies for reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and enhancing sustainable cooling technologies (www.coolupprogramme.org/…)
The Cool Up project is continuously conducting trainings in all partner countries. The trainings invite stakeholders from the policy, technical and financial field and provide targeted input on sustainable cooling and natural refrigerants. Over the course of the project, several hundred people have participated in training programmes. More information on the individual training sessions conducted so far can be found on the project website.
In October 2024, Cool Up conducted a study tour in Nürnberg, Germany, attending the Chillventa trade fair and a cross-country workshop. Partners from the project countries Egypt and Türkiye participated in the study tour, gaining insights into the latest industry trends. Additionally, an online-seminar was held in February 2025, covering innovative cooling technologies seen at Chillventa, National Cooling Action Plan development, and sustainable financing, where insights were also shared with partners from Lebanon and Jordan.
Cool Up in Lebanon is contributing to the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) with measures on cooling and building efficiency and plans to update the NCAP in 2026. In Türkiye, the NCAP development reached its final stages, with measures discussed in bilateral meetings and a large workshop.
In September 2024, during New York Climate Week, the Cool Up project and the Atlantic Council’s Climate Resilience Center co-hosted a roundtable discussion. This expert meeting convened several stakeholders, including representatives from international financial institutions, policymakers, philanthropies, and subject matter experts, to explore strategies for mitigating the increasing impacts of extreme weather events.