ANTALYA, Türkiye, 10 October 2018.—Forty-seven experts including officials from 13 governments in Europe and Central Asia gathered in this Mediterranean city to identify opportunities and forge cooperation for promoting energy efficient cooling equipment in their countries and region. The catalyst for the gathering was the recent agreement of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances the Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Amendment, which will enter into force on 1 January 2019, is helping to protect the climate by phasing down the use of powerful greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). These gases are commonly used in air conditioners and refrigerators. During the transition to alternative gases taking place under the Montreal Protocol, countries have the opportunity to introduce more energy-efficient cooling equipment that would not only reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but also save consumers and businesses money on their electricity bills, help utilities meet ever growing needs for power, and enable governments to reduce fossil fuel imports.
The two-day “Twinning Workshop on Energy-Efficient and Climate-Friendly Refrigeration and Air Conditioning” was organized from 9-10 October in Antalya by UN Environment Programme’s OzonAction Branch and United for Efficiency initiative, and delivered in cooperation with ASHRAE, the international engineering society. The event was supported by the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP), a new philanthropic initiative that is committing US$ 52 million to help developing countries transition to energy-efficient, climate-friendly, affordable cooling solutions.
The workshop brought together two traditionally separate communities from the governments of the Europe and Central Asia region – those responsible for managing compliance with the Montreal Protocol and those responsible for national energy policies. With their combined expertise and remits, these officials are key to transitioning global markets toward better performing cooling products that also protect the Earth’s climate.
James S. Curlin, Network and Policy Manager, UN Environment, stated that “It is becoming increasingly evident to many people that one of the major paths to reaching climate protection success is by a combined approach that replaces refrigerants and increases the energy efficiency of the cooling and refrigeration equipment that use them. This is in fact the aspiration that is behind the Kigali Amendment. UN Environment obtained support from K-CEP to hold these Twinning workshops, which build on the successful platform of the Regional Networks of Ozone Officers under the Multilateral Fund, to provide space for Ozone Officers and Energy Officials to find common ground and start a dialogue that they will continue once they return home.”
Mr. Orhan Solak, Head of Department for Climate Change, Türkiye’s Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, emphasized that “Türkiye is successfully implementing the Montreal Protocol and recently adopted the regulation on fluorinated gases in line with the European F-gas regulation and intend to continue working within the scope of Kigali Amendment. Despite of its rapid economic development, Türkiye is striving for sustainable development including climate projection as well as social inclusion.”
Ms. Hu Min, Head of K-CEP’s Access for Cooling and China, noted “Without early and ambitious action in improving cooling efficiency, we would not be able to achieve the goal to keep global warming under 2 degrees, let alone 1.5 degrees.”
The workshop provided a platform for the national energy officials to learn more about the Kigali Amendment and for National Ozone Officers to better understand how energy efficiency considerations could be pursued alongside the refrigerant transition.
UN Environment gave the respective groups short introductions to their counterpart’s subject areas of the Montreal Protocol and energy efficiency. ASHRAE then delivered a technology overview, followed by a presentation by ERKASIS Refrigeration and Heating Systems about a new energy-efficient carbon dioxide-ammonia cascade refrigeration system used for cooling dairy products (later in the day, many participants took part in a site visit to the factory to see the dairy refrigeration system first-hand). Daikin Türkiye gave a hands-on training session using an R-32 room air-conditioner, which was well-appreciated by the participants. The International Energy Agency shared global and regional perspectives on policies for transforming cooling markets, as well as model programmes and policies. Inspiring country case examples were then shared by Kyrgyzstan, Albania, Moldova, and Ukraine. Along with the Basel Agency for Sustainable Energy and the Ministry of Nature Protection, Armenia, the International Energy Agency presented options that could be considered for financing energy-efficient cooling programmes. The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia presented an overview of the regional energy landscape, and OzonAction did the same for refrigerants. The Ministry of Economy, Montenegro, moderated a group discussion of priorities for enhancing regional collaboration. Throughout, the workshop employed practical exercises and interactive discussions to delve into critical issues such as understanding the national context, identifying and engaging stakeholders, data collection, and implementing model policies and programmes.
Overall, the workshop achieved its goal of starting a “twinning” dialogue between the Ozone Officers and energy officials and beginning the flow of information at the national level related to the energy efficiency and refrigerants nexus, the first step down the road towards realizing the goals of the Kigali Amendment.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
James Curlin, Network and Policy Manager, OzonAction UN Environment Programme Phone: +33 1 44 37 14 55 Email: jim.curlin@un.org
Brian Holuj, Programme Officer, United for Efficiency UN Environment Programme Phone: +33 1 44 37 42 60 Email: brian.holuj@un.org
