The C4 project (Cool Contributions fighting Climate Change), funded by Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) and implemented by GIZ Proklima comes to an end and we look back at ten years of impact. It shifted cooling from a policy blind spot to a recognized climate solution – helping countries to measure, plan, and finance climate-friendly cooling.
C4 in Numbers: A Decade of Cool Contributions
Cooling is no longer a luxury. It saves lifes during heatwaves, preserves vaccines, and ensures food security. But the same systems that protect us from rising temperatures also contribute significantly to climate change. If left unchecked, refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) technologies could be responsible for more than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, reaching 6.1 GtCO2eq by 2050. This paradox — where cooling both protects and pollutes — is what the Cool Contributions fighting Climate Change (C4) project set out to address. Over 10 years, C4 has helped countries turn cooling from a blind spot into a climate solution — by building national inventories, crafting strategic policies, developing action plans, strengthening skills, and engaging financial institutions.
Across two phases (2016–2025), the C4 project helped 3 partner countries (Costa Rica, Grenada, The Philippines), in the first phase Iran and Vietnam and in the second phase 2 pilot countries (Nigeria, Liberia) to:
• Develop or update their national RAC greenhouse gas inventories, develop National Cooling Action Plans and MRV frameworks, and finally integrate RAC mitigation into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
• Co-develop Green Cooling pilot projects with more than 140 R-290 air-conditioning (AC) installations in hotels, hospitals and public buildings
• Train more than 210 technicians and instructors in the safe handling of natural refrigerants, encouraging more women to take up technical professions
• Catalyze new financial instruments and procurement schemes for climate-friendly cooling
• Develop global tools such as the NDC Helpdesk (opens in a new window) and the Green Cooling Finance Platform (opens in a new window)
From Baseline to Action: Countries Making Cooling Count
Implementing best practices could reduce cooling-related emissions worldwide by up to 60% by 2050 — and up to 96% with faster grid decarbonization. Yet the RAC sector remains one of the least addressed in national climate strategies. Many countries lack the data, coordination, or financing systems to take meaningful action.
A five-step approach developed under the C4 project is already being applied by Costa Rica, Grenada, the Philippines, Liberia, and Nigeria — each tailoring it to their national context. Three priority areas stand out:
1. Measuring What Matters: Quantifying Cooling Sector Emissions
Understanding a country’s cooling footprint is the first step to addressing it. Still, cooling-related emissions often go unaccounted in national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories. That’s why C4 helped partner countries build sector-specific inventories based on internationally recognized Tier 1 and 2 methods (basic vs. more detailed inventory approaches) — tracking refrigerant use, equipment stock, and energy demand.
These inventories help identify mitigation potential, align with Kigali targets, and strengthen national climate strategies.
Country Snapshots:
• Costa Rica completed a Tier 2 inventory and updated it to inform policy and public procurement.
• Grenada built a full Tier 2 RAC inventory (updated in 2025) and linked it to technician training and policy planning.
• The Philippines mapped RAC emissions and aligned data with training, standards, and appliance efficiency.
• Nigeria built a baseline across key RAC subsectors for inclusion in its upcoming NDC 3.0.
• Liberia completed its first national RAC inventory using a Tier 1 approach in 2024, and as a basis for its upcoming National Cooling Action Plan.
Explore tools: The C4 Quick Self-Analysis (opens in a new window) Tool and Mini Module (opens in a new window) 1 including its HFC Emissions Baseline Excel Tool (opens in a new window) support robust RAC inventories.
2. Turning Data into Action: Integrating Cooling in NDCs
The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are the core mechanism for countries to outline and update their climate strategies every five years. The upcoming 2025 NDC 3.0 update is a key moment to expand ambition and formally include cooling.
Integrating cooling into NDCs enables countries to tackle both direct refrigerant emissions and indirect energy-related emissions, while unlocking co-benefits like energy security, health resilience, and green jobs. It also promotes coordination across climate, energy, and ozone actors — leading to more robust baselines and long-term planning.
Country Snapshots
• Costa Rica included RAC mitigation in its 2020 NDC, focusing on the use of air conditioners in hotels, green public procurement, minimum energy performance standards, and training.
• Grenada focused on mitigation in room AC and domestic refrigeration in its NDC (2020) and launched public awareness campaigns, energy labels, and a cross-border training network.
• The Philippines integrated the RAC sector in its 2020 NDC; focused on unitary AC and cold chain interventions.
• Nigeria prepared sectoral mitigation strategies as part of its 2025 NDC update.
• Liberia is currently drafting an Action Plan to include RAC measures for NDC 2025 integration.
Explore tools: Use the NDC Helpdesk (opens in a new window) as a starting point to a multitude of publications, videos, and tools – among them the NDC guidance for NDC policy makers (opens in a new window), the Excel NDC Benchmarking Tool (opens in a new window), and the NDC4 Webinar series. (opens in a new window)
3. Finance Matters: Making Cooling Affordable for All
Even the best plans fail without financing. Green Cooling technologies often entail higher upfront costs but deliver substantial energy savings and climate benefits over time. However, without accessible finance, they remain out of reach for many consumers and institutions. That’s why mobilizing finance requires more than just funding — it calls for the active engagement of banks, appliance distributors, and financial regulators as strategic partners in the transition.
C4 Phase II engaged financial stakeholders in Grenada, Costa Rica, and the Philippines to raise awareness of the business case for Green Cooling and co-develop locally tailored financing solutions. Financial institutions stand to benefit from entering this growing market:
• They diversify their portfolios with sustainable, future-proof products.
• They strengthen credit security, as energy savings improve repayment capacity.
• They attract environmentally conscious clients and improve refinancing access via green credit lines and climate funds.
• They align with national climate policies and international green finance agendas.
Among the financing tools to implement cooling upgrades for consumers and industrial end-users: tax exemptions, green credit products, pay-as-you-go schemes, on-wage financing, cooling-as-a-service, or lease financing.
Country Snapshots
• Costa Rica piloted climate-smart procurement for RAC equipment and held a virtual bank workshop to explore financial mechanisms.
• Grenada launched a Green Loan concept and hosted a national finance workshop. Results will feed into its upcoming NDC Cooling Roadmap.
• The Philippines developed a hotel-sector finance concept and presented business models for climate-friendly RAC at COP28. A tailored in-person training in Berlin helped local banks and distributors integrate emissions metrics into cooling finance products.
Explore tools: The Green Cooling Finance Platform (opens in a new window) provides access to a wide range of finance-related information, including the Green Cooling Whitelist (opens in a new window).
What’s Next: Scaling What Works
As the world prepares for the next NDC update in 2025, C4 has shown how to move from ambition to action in cooling. It’s not only about technology — it’s about data, finance, training, and governance. The tools, lessons, and strategies developed under the project now form a global blueprint. But the job isn’t done:
• MAINSTREAM COOLING IN NDC 3.0: Ensure that all countries — not just early pioneers — include cooling in their NDCs, with concrete targets and implementation pathways.
• SCALE NATIONAL ACTION: Move from planning to action through technician training, regulatory enforcement, and financing for clean cooling technologies.
• BRIDGE CLIMATE AND OZONE POLICY: Align Kigali Amendment and NDC reporting to avoid duplication, streamline data, and raise overall ambition.
• ENSURE ACCESS AND EQUITY: Support countries in developing cooling strategies that serve both people and planet — with a strong focus on women, youth, and marginalized groups.
• ALIGN WITH CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITIONS: Link cooling to national electrification strategies using energy-efficient appliances, solar PV, mini-grids, and smart demand-side management.
• INTEGRATE COOLING INTO ADAPTATION PLANS: Ensure cooling is embedded in adaptation efforts — from hospitals and vaccine logistics to food systems and urban resilience.
• CLOSE THE FINANCE GAP: Unlock greater investment in sustainable cooling through blended finance, public privat partnerships (PPPs), and innovative models like Cooling-as-a-Service (CaaS).
More details can be found in our C4 project brochure (opens in a new window) for country highlights and success stories.