Management and Destruction of ozone depleting and climate-damaging substances in cooling devices

Old cooling devices and foam used to insulate buildings often contain coolants or chemical blowing agents with F-gases. These ‘ODS’ banks generate a high output of climate-damaging emissions. The long-term objective of the project is to promote that an increasing number of emerging and developing countries reduce direct emissions from ODS banks and anchor the sector in their Nationally Determined Contributions. Partner countries are supported in developing measures to reduce emissions from ODS banks. To achieve this, the project advises the countries regarding strategy formulation, capacity building, implementation and possible technology cooperation. Moreover, due to the very high and cost-efficient greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential and missing international regulations, an Alliance starts working. At project end, the Alliance will be established and will be able to promote projects in the fields of ODS and HFC banks management.

Project data

Countries: China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Iran, Tunisia, Ecuador, Malawi
IKI funding: 9,500,000.00 €
Duration: 11/2013 till 12/2025
Status: open
Implementing organisation: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Political Partner: Environmental Protection Agency - Ghana

Foreign Economic Cooperation Office (FECO) - China

Ministry of Ecology and Environment - China

Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development (MinAmbiente) - Colombia

Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) - Ghana
Implementing Partner: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) - Austria
Online: https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/30797.html

https://www.copalliance.org/home

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State of implementation/results

The project aims to dispose of and recycle old stocks of refrigerants and foams in an environmentally and ozone-friendly manner. The aim is to prevent emissions from these substances. Support for selected countries in the development of inventories, plans and pilot plants was successfully completed in the first phase of the project. Following the launch in July 2022, the second phase will focus on expanding the Climate and Ozone Protection Alliance (COPA).
COPA is an international alliance of countries, international organizations, academia, financial institutions, the private sector and civil society working together on the sustainable disposal of accumulated quantities of ozone-depleting and climate-damaging substances (ODS) from old refrigeration appliances or foams.
80 representatives from civil society, industry, academia and ministries joined the Alliance, including 26 countries.
The members of the Alliance work in four working groups on political framework conditions, a financing mechanism, implementation models and technological solutions for ODS and HFC bank management.
Presentation of the Alliance at more than 41 international events and conferences with more than 1,000 participants to inform about the cost-efficient and effective mitigation potential of ODS and HFC Banks Management.
Conducting a study tour to Germany and Belgium on best practices in recycling, reprocessing and the EU F-Gas Regulation (11/23).
Feasibility study for the construction of a reprocessing plant in Ghana (12/24).
Procurement of a dosing station for the incineration of gases (12/24).
Presentation of COPA at the 28th Climate Change Conference in Dubai (12/23).
Virtual study tour on the topics of recovery (03/24) in Chile, destruction in Ecuador (03/2024) and dismantling and recovery in China (04/24) of ODS/HFCs with a total of 70 participants.
2. Plenary Session with 44 participants over two days with 10 sessions on country activities and COPA position papers (06/24) and “Extraordinary COPA Plenary Meeting” with 29 participants to present the achievements, results and future perspectives of the project (11/24).
Organization of a workshop on the preparation of national inventories of ODS banks in the context of the 46th meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties (OEWG) in Montreal (07/24) with 93 participants.
Two awareness-raising workshops (Spanish and English) on promoting gender equality in the refrigeration sector with 53 COPA members (08/24).
Presentation of the study on the eligibility of ODS/HFC destruction or recovery projects under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement in an online session.
Publication of the report “Refrigerant recycling in China's automotive industry” in an online session and online sessions on the report and methodology of the study (11/24).
Contributions at two events at COP13/MOP36 in Bangkok.
The first workshop for women in the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump sector was held in Mexico with 30 women to promote women's participation. As a result, a national women's network in the refrigeration sector is to be established (10/24).
Capacity building trainings on the technical and environmental management of refrigerants and their disposal in Sierra Leone, Lesotho and Namibia and online training in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Papua New Guinea (11/24).
A workshop on “Promoting sustainable management practices in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry through extended producer responsibility (EPR)” was held in Pakistan (11/24).
Publication of the study on “Destruction of ODS/HFCs in cement kilns”, commissioned by COPA and carried out by UNIDO (12/24).
Publication of the updated COPA report "Global inventory of ODS and HFCs banks" for the year 2024 (www.copalliance.org/…) (05/25)
More information on the COPA website www.copalliance.org/… and in the COPA Compendium 2025, an interactive PDF document comprising an overview and links to all publications, activities, and resources issued by COPA between 2021 and 2025: www.copalliance.org/…