Cooling Program for Southern Africa

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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. The growing use of ACs will lead to increasing greenhouse gas emissions due to the fossil-fuel-based electricity used by most ACs and the fluorinated gases (F-gases) that are mainly used as refrigerants in ACs and cause substantial emissions as they leak. Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving energy efficiency in the cooling sector in the SADC region is imperative. However, there are major obstacles to achieving the sustainable transformation of the sector, such as the inaccessibility and high cost of energy-efficient and F-gas-free ACs (Green ACs).

Objectives and Implementation

The aim of the programme is to develop an implementation-ready support programme that prepares for the introduction of Green ACs in the following countries of the SADC region: Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia and South Africa. Therefore, framework conditions to pilot market-based approaches according to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement will be created. The programme will work on political, contractual, regulatory, technological, and economic framework conditions.

 

The following implementation actions will be carried out by CooPSA:

- Conclusion of bilateral preliminary agreements to transfer Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) as a basis for carbon financing and quantification of emission reductions

- Preparation of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) as well as energy labels for ACs

- Design of an AC replacement program introducing natural refrigerants by creating and increasing the supply and demand side in the region and developing a concept for the end-of-life-management of ACs

- Development of a sustainable financing instrument in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement

The target group of CooPSA includes: political decision makers, financial institutions, technology suppliers & importers, RAC associations, training institutions.

Outlook

The current programme (2021-2022) is the preparatory phase for the subsequent implementation programme, scheduled to start in 2023. If both programme phases are successfully implemented, significant greenhouse gas reduction and energy savings are expected as well as co-benefits, such as the creation of new skilled jobs and easier market penetration of natural refrigerants.

 

 

Commissioning Party and Implementing Agencies

  • The programme is commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany.
  • The implementing agencies of CooPSA are Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and GFA Consulting Group.

Partner countries

Latest News

Regional Workshop of the Cooling Program for Southern Africa (CooPSA) in Botswana

15.09.2023 , News :

On 11 and 12 September 2023 focal points of climate change, ozone and energy departments of national ministries of Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia and South Africa – meaning three focal points per country – met to discuss with GIZ and GFA Consulting Group the status quo and way forward of the Cooling Program for Southern Africa (CooPSA). 

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It was the first regional workshop held in the context of the CooPSA project after national working group meetings in all four partner countries in 2022 (Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia) and the beginning of 2023 (South Africa). The workshop was hosted by the Government of Botswana. 

The Cooling Program for Southern Africa (CooPSA (opens in a new window)) is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) of Germany. It is conceived as Article 6 of the Paris Agreement Pilot Project and aims to facilitate direct and indirect emission reductions through the promotion of Green Air Conditioners (ACs) meaning highly energy efficient ACs using natural refrigerants. The project is being implemented in Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia and South Africa and kicked-off in the beginning of 2022. In addition to the reduction of emissions, it aims to provide co-benefits such as the creation of new skilled jobs and to facilitate the market penetration of natural refrigerants in developing and emerging countries. 

After a warm welcome on behalf of BMWK, the workshop started with the introduction to and the presentation of the current status of Article 6 and Voluntary Carbon Markets. The status quo of Article 6 frameworks and processes was outlined and barriers for the use of carbon finance and possible support options discussed. Approaches for accounting of direct and indirect emissions under a business as usual and under a mitigation scenario for all four partner countries were discussed during the two workshop days. Also, approaches for the implementation of the integrated financing instrument for the AC replacement programme were discussed. Life cycle analyses were presented and the importance of regulating the cooling sector discussed. Beside this, insights and discussion of the current status of the development of the Green AC training programme and Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) were part of the workshop. Finally, next steps for the CooPSA project were discussed with the participants and will be incorporated in further processes. The workshop benefited from lively discussions that looked at the programme from different angles. In total there were 25 participants at the workshop in Botswana. CooPSA moves now from the design to the implementation phase.