Coo­ling Pro­gram for Sou­thern Af­ri­ca

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.