Cooling Program for Southern Africa

The number of air conditioners (ACs) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region will increase from 5.4 million to around 17.7 million by 2030. Climate and energy plans of the SADC members call for greenhouse gas emission reductions and energy efficiency improvements in the cooling sector. High costs and the inaccessibility of ACs using natural refrigerants with ultra-low global warming potential are major obstacles to a sustainable transformation of the sector. The project prepares framework conditions of an AC replacement programme in its partner countries and makes it operational by the end of the project. Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) as well as energy labels for ACs will be established, an AC replacement programme introducing natural refrigerants will be operational and a sustainable financing instrument will be implemented, which considers carbon finance provided under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Project data

Countries: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini
IKI funding: 7,000,000.00 €
Duration: 12/2021 till 12/2026
Status: open
Implementing organisation: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Political Partner: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) - South Africa

Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism - Namibia

Ministry of Minerals and Energy - Botswana

Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs - Eswatini
Implementing Partner: China Household Electrical Appliance Association (CHEAA)
Online: https://www.green-cooling-initiative.org/about-us/our-projects/cooling-program-for-southern-africa-coopsa

Skip to Project data

State of implementation/results

For all partner countries, the Mitigation Activity Design Document (MADD) was jointly prepared, discussed and validated over the course of the project. A successful mission with GIZ and TÜV Nord to validate the MADDs according to international standards took place in 2025. The project partners are now in charge of integrating relevant stakeholders into the setup of the Art. 6 preparational activities.
As part of its training activities, Article 6 training was conducted for project stakeholders in Namibia and Botswana.
Exchanges with national standard institutions on the nationalisation of the regional Southern African Development Community Minimum Energy Performance Standards for air conditioners took place. Final Minimum Energy Performance Standards were published in Botswana and Namibia.
A training on safe handling of natural refrigerants (specifically R290, propane) air conditioners was conducted at a training center in Eswatini. In addition, nine R290 trainings were implemented in Namibia.
A workshop was conducted at the World Bank Innovate4Climate (I4C) conference in September 2024 on refrigeration and air conditioning and Article 6. The workshop was held together with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) (www.innovate4climate.com).
The project donated 26 air conditioners as well as tools and other equipment to National Ozone Units (NOUs) and training centers in Namibia. The air conditioners use the natural refrigerant R290.
Cool Training for policy makers (in Germany) provided for National Ozone Unit (NOU) officers in May 2023 and in June 2024.
During COP28, the project conducted a Side Event on Green ACs and Article 6, where selected political partners from the partner countries shared their experiences.
A regional project workshop was conducted in Botswana in September 2023 with representatives of the four partner countries. The aim of the workshop was to plan the project's activities.
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning trainers in the partner countries were trained on the safe use and handling of natural refrigerants through the Cool Training Programme (see www.green-cooling-initiative.org/…) in Germany for two weeks in October 2022.
Representatives of the NOU of the partner countries participated at the Global Green Cooling Network Meeting in July 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, which was organised back to back to the 44th Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) of the Montreal Protocol.
Exchanges with (non-African) manufacturers of Green Air Conditioners (ACs) and its Southern African sales agents with the objective to initiate the import of Green ACs for the project.
Collection and analysis of data on the current air conditioner (AC) stock and related energy efficiencies for the greenhouse gas baseline development as well as on available Green ACs (efficiencies, costs etc.) is completed. The status quo regarding relevant Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) regulations, policy, safety standards, training institutes, curriculum, certification, etc. in the partner countries has been analysed.