COPA primarily supports countries from the global South (ODA-countries) in creating effective GHG mitigation through ODS and HFC banks management. COPAs activities are to give partners access to the funding and support needed to enact mitigation measures, whether reclamation or destruction mechanisms, leading to new infrastructures that effectively address the global ODS and HFC banks problem.
Countries are welcomed to become members of the alliance and benefit from knowledge-exchange and an international network of actors willing to jointly work on the sustainable management of ODS and HFCs. If you wish to receive further technical and financial support to implement concrete mitigation action you need to apply as a COPA partner country.
In the initial phase COPA cooperates with China (Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China - Foreign Environmental Cooperation Office), Ghana (Ministry of Environment Science Technology and Innovation - Environmental Protection Agency), Mexico (Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico), and Tunesia ( Ministry of Environment of Tunisia ). COPA is working with the four countries to define country-specific commitments and implement first pilot actions. The results and expertise can then be transferred and multiplied to other countries.
COPA will focus on mitigation actions in metropolitan regions as ODS and HFC waste stocks mostly accumulate in densely populated areas.
Tunisia The management of the ODS banks in Tunisia is in its early steps. The first approach on this area of work has been on conducting an inventory of the stock of ODS (GIZ 2015). It identified that in Tunisia the total ODS banks have 2,386 tons covering individual climatization, domestic refrigeration, commercial, industrial and centralized cooling. Based on the inventories of refrigerant stocks in Tunisia (ANPE / GIZ 2018), the quantities of ODS potentially as well as those realistically available for management have been identified. To define the quantities of ODS potentially available for management, it was considered that all RAC equipment shut down at the end of its life cycle would enter the waste stream (assuming a collection rate of 100%). Approximately 54 tons of HCFC-22 are potentially available for management (recycling / recovery) per year, while 13 tons of CFC-12 could be destroyed per year, assuming 100% recovery of these substances. However, the possibility of taking action to destroy CFCs is rapidly diminishing. Tunisia has a regulatory framework that covers hazardous waste (HW) established by Decree No. 2000-2339. Currently, the decree only includes CFCs and equipment containing this type of ODS. An update of the list of hazardous waste in Tunisia is currently underway, which will allow to complete the decree by classifying all substances that deplete the ozone layer and substances with global warming potential in the RAC sector as HWs requiring special treatment. Tunisia has already taken steps to install a RRR (recovery, recycling and regeneration) program for refrigerants. The aim of the RRR program is to reduce the import of ODS and fluorinated gases, the prices of which have risen considerably and will continue to rise in the future as a result of increasing restrictions on their use. Tunisia has two centers for the recovery of refrigerants in Tunis and Sfax equipped. Tunisian policymakers will be trained and equipped in adopting ODS banks management practices *These activities were determined in COPAs project document. Due to the Decision 91/66, funding window for an inventory of banks of used or unwanted controlled substances and a plan for the collection, transport and disposal of such substances, minor changes on the activities will be done. UNDP is willing to support the partners to strengthen their systems for the reduction of ODS and HFCs banks emissions.
Partner
Activities
COPA COUNTRIES