Rome, Italy, 8 November 2019 – Through organizing six technical sessions and signing five memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with key global refrigeration and air-conditioning associations, UNEP OzonAction is fostering ties with key industry stakeholders and experts from the HVAC&R community. aiming at providing state-of-the-art support and services to developing countries within the context of meeting commitments of the Montreal Protocol. Since its establishment more than 25 years ago, UNEP OzonAction has maintained a healthy cooperation and relationship with industry associations and has partnered with them on numerous occasions to implement specific programmes and events. However, over the last few years, OzonAction has been strategizing its relationship with key industry associations through building long-term programmes and initiatives that fit into the phase-out timetables of the Montreal Protocol.
UNEP OzonAction supports 147 developing countries as an Implementing Agency (IA) as well as within its clearinghouse mandate, under the Montreal Protocol, including activities and programmes for the advancement of alternative refrigerants, safety, training, certification and standards updates. Accordingly, many important initiatives and products have been launched such as the Refrigerant Driving License (RDL), HFC Outlook Model, Refrigerant e-Learning Courses, Universal Training Kit, Refrigerant Management University Course as well as the Cold Chain Database Model.
At the 31st Meeting of Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP-31), UNEP OzonAction convened, in cooperation with industry partners, several technical side-events showcasing the different initiatives and products that were developed, launched and piloted successfully in many developing countries. The side-events also witnessed the signing of strategic MOUs with key partners namely: AHRI, AREA, ASHRAE, EPEE and IIR which institutionally cements the relationship between UNEP OzonAction and those partners, securing commitments in pursuing common goals and targets. The following side-events were held:
AHRI and UNEP honour the first Refrigerant Driving License (RDL) certified trainers worldwide
4 November 2019 –The RDL programme includes comprehensive competency and skill documentation, training curriculum, and supporting guides and tools to conduct the RDL training and testing. Six pioneering countries, Grenada, the Maldives, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago are currently leading the effort to pilot the RDL by holding training sessions for local technicians. With a target of 600 trainees (100 per country), the RDL is an ambitious endeavour that will advance global refrigerant management techniques and contribute to a safe, efficient, and environmentally-friendly refrigerant transition. The joint UNEP OzonAction and AHRI side-event presented the outcomes of the first phase of the RDL Pilot Stage and awarded five countries certificates/badges for the first group of RDL certified trainers worldwide.
ASHRAE and UNEP announce the winners of 2019 Lower-GWP Innovation Award
5 November 2019 – ASHRAE and UNEP announced the winners of the 2019 Lower-GWP Innovation Award in which projects from Brazil, China, India, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand were recognized as recipients. During this joint ASHRAE-UNEP side event, several new products were presented, including the launch of the French version of the Refrigerant Literacy e-Learning course, the 59 engineering colleges in 20 countries using the UNEP University Course, and more than 1500 e-learners using the ASHRAE-UNEP Refrigerant Literacy and Sound management.
EPEE and UNEP release outcomes of the second pilot of the HFC Outlook Model
5 November 2019 – The HFC Outlook model is a pragmatic tool to support national decision-making about the Kigali Amendment. It has been developed in cooperation with EPEE. based on the EU GAPOMETER model and further improved and adapted for Article 5 countries. The model offers multiple and flexible scenarios for forecasting the outcomes of HFCs in different consuming sectors in conjunction with technology dynamics, compliance targets and socio-economic aspects. The HFC Outlook is a forward-looking tool for National Ozone Units (NOUs), to assess gaps and consider policies. The model has been successfully introduced in 10 developing countries starting with Bahrain and Kuwait, as the first pilot, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dominican Republic, Gabon, Guatemala, Honduras, Mali, Senegal, and Sri Lanka.
AREA and UNEP launch the Universal Training Kit
6 November 2019 - At the UNEP OzonAction and AREA joint side-event, held in cooperation with IIR and EPEE, and benefiting from EU experience in training programmes for the refrigeration servicing sector, the two organisations launched their new training tool entitled the “Universal Training Kit” which is designed as a modular training programme that is adaptable to accommodate different types of courses delivered by training institutes and centres in developing countries. The kit covers all aspects of sound and safe management of refrigerants including dealing with conventional and flammable refrigerants. The tool will allow training centres to design and build training courses with the preferred length, content and target audience. A dedicated portal is designed to assist users to build their preferred courses.
GFCCC and UNEP support Cold Chain through new Database Model
6 November 2019 - UNEP OzonAction partnered with the Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) through a special initiative to assist NOUs to better understand the use of HCFCs/HFCs in each of the Cold Chain sub-sectors. The aim to better design and implement respective policies and technical support activities for the different sub-sectors. The initiative is a voluntary one with the purpose of designing a comprehensive Database Model with an analytical tool to plot the significance of each sub-sector in terms of technology and refrigerant types/consumption along with other aspects.
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