At the 5th International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5), GIZ Proklima, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), organized a side event on “Sustainable management of fluorinated chemicals – best practices and success stories” in the German Pavilion.
During her welcome remark, Dr. Claudia Hiepe (BMZ) underlined how the BMZ has been active in the sustainable management of chemicals over the last decades, focusing on fluorinated chemicals, which are mainly used in the cooling sector, for refrigeration and air-conditioning as well as foam productions or as solvents. A sustainable management of fluorinated chemicals, including end-of-life refrigerant management is an important tool to fight global warming.
These aspects were picked up by colleagues from UNDP and GIZ who presented the Montreal Protocol, sharing best practices and success stories.
Bernhard Siegele from GIZ Proklima talked about the general application of fluorinated chemicals and its climate impact, referring to natural refrigerants as alternatives. He also emphasized the existence of alternative technologies and the importance of training refrigeration technicians for the safe handling of these substances.
Ms. Xiaofang Zhou, director of the Chemical and Waste Hub within UNDP, later presented experiences from the Montreal Protocol in terms of its institutional structure, its funding approach and tools for a successful management. She also shared UNDP´s experiences on implementation of the Montreal Protocol as well as her vision for a green transition.