Green Cooling Initiative III

Rising temperatures, growing populations and increasing prosperity are increasing the global demand for cooling. At the same time, conventional cooling technologies lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and damage to the ozone layer. The project strengthens key actors in public and private sector institutions in the partner countries to make their refrigeration and air conditioning sector sustainable and to achieve their goals within the framework of multilateral agreements such as the Montreal Protocol. In concrete terms, the project supports the implementation of regionally adapted sustainable sector strategies and effectively introduces the issue of sustainable cooling into the national climate discourse. It also makes financing instruments for green cooling technologies more widely available and establishes a training system for refrigeration and air conditioning technicians.

Project data

Countries: Colombia, Honduras, Kenya, Thailand, Uganda, Viet Nam, Bangladesh
IKI funding: 6,500,000.00 €
Duration: 08/2021 till 12/2025
Status: open
Implementing organisation: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Political Partner: Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) - Vietnam

Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry (MECCF) - Kenya

Ministry of Environment and Forests - Bangladesh

Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MinAmbiente) - Colombia

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) - Thailand

Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment - Honduras

Ministry of Water and Environment - Uganda

National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) - Uganda
Implementing Partner: Kyambogo University Uganda
Online: https://www.green-cooling-initiative.org/

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State of implementation/results

The project supports the implementation of regionally adapted sustainable sector strategies. Hereby, the focus is on the market launch of air conditioning and refrigeration technology that utilises natural refrigerants and is energy-efficient. To this end, propane-based air conditioning units have been installed in public buildings and training institutes in Bangladesh, Kenya, Thailand and Uganda to demonstrate their functionality and efficiency.
The project effectively introduces the topic of sustainable cooling into national and international climate discourses. Various events have been organised at international conferences, such as the 35th Conference of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, the 28th World Climate Conference as well as the 47th Open-Ended-Working-Group (OEWG). At the OEWG meeting, an interactive event on participation of women in the RAC-sector was hosted (siehe further links below).
The project organises events to spread information on natural refrigerants such as propane in the partner countries. To publicise the topic for a broader audience in Kenya, a live talk show with representatives of the project, the political partner, industry and the national climate movement was held on World Ozone Day 2024 on one of the most popular TV stations. In May 2025 the third Green Cooling Summit took place with a focus on sustainable cooling and heating in buildings. The Green Cooling Summit was co-organised with the German "Umweltbundesamt" (the central Environmental Authority) and brought together experts and actors from the RAC-sector. In addition, there is an on-going series of online-seminars on green cooling.
In addition, the project is making financing instruments for green cooling technologies more widely accessible. In Colombia, advisory services were prodived on a financial architecture for the introduction of sustainable cooling systems in supermarkets. In addition, three guides were published on best practices in commercial refrigeration using propane refrigerants, on controlling refrigerant leaks, and on formulating initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for refrigeration and air conditioning projects in the retail sector.
The state partners, mostly national ozone protection units, were supported in the development of project proposals through which additional funding can be aquired.
A major focus is on training refrigeration technicians in the use of natural refrigerants. More than 1,870 people have now been trained in all partner countries. In order to anchor this training content in the long term, the project has worked with various training centres and government agencies to incorporate the relevant content into training curricula, some of which have already been adopted and are in widespread use. In eastern Africa, efforts are being made to establish a regional qualification, certification and registration system for refrigeration technicians.

Latest Update:
12/2025