How to prepare national inventories of ODS banks - Workshop at OEWG46 in Montreal
Expanded Lifecycle Refrigerant Management (LRM) is needed to minimize refrigerant leaks and maximize end-of-life recovery, reclamation, and destruction, as a crucial contribution to achieving net zero emission. Effective implementation could prevent fluorocarbon emissions equivalent to 90 billion metric tons of CO2 this century.
A new funding window established by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol supports Article 5 (developing) countries in preparation of a national inventory of banks of used or unwanted controlled substances, and the development of a national action plan for the collection, transport, and disposal, including consideration of recycling, reclamation, and cost-effective destruction.
During the workshop, participants heard from experts on the importance of managing banks, strategies to minimise bank emissions, and an explanation on the criteria for projects to be supported by the Multilateral Fund.
The morning sessions provided context for developing inventories and gave practical guidance on how to conduct ODS and HFC bank inventories and action plans. The Climate and Ozone Protection Alliance (COPA) has developed ODS bank inventories in a number of countries, and presented on the process – including data collection sources – of compiling inventory and national plans. Climate consultancy HEAT GmbH presented key inventory approaches and methodologies and facilitated an interactive practice session with a recommended methodology.
In afternoon sessions, participants heard from the direct experiences of Finland, Ghana, Tunisia and Japan on conducting inventories and strategies for addressing banks.
Finland completed their national inventory of banks in 2023, and was able to estimate the amounts of ozone depleting substances and climate- warming F-gases in used and decommissioned appliances and structures, as well as the emissions from them.
As an industrialised nation, Japan’s experience in developing laws, plans, and policy instruments for step-by-step improvements for addressing fluorocarbon banks has been hailed as one of the best examples of a country managing fluorocarbon banks.
Tunisia’s presentation emphasized the need for sustainable stakeholder engagement and capacity building, including the advantage of having a refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) sector association. Since 2015 Tunisia has been working on creating two recovery, recycling and reclaiming (RRR) centers for fluorinated refrigerants, with collaboration of the National Agency for Waste Management, alongside an active project with COPA on the management and destruction of ODS/HFCs.
Ghana, reported on its experience of the National Airconditioning and Refrigeration Workshops Owners' Association (NARWOA) important role in the management and disposal of ODS banks, and the need for leadership capacity building and a good business case. Ghana also emphasized the need for general awareness raising and comprehensive stakeholder engagement in developing a country and sector-wide strategy to discuss the inventory results and develop project ideas for international funding.
The workshop also hosted the Multilateral Fund implementing agencies that will support countries with their ODS and HFC bank inventories. These agencies presented on their step-by-step approach to helping countries, and remaining gaps and way forward for the countries, including the need for sustainable business models, innovative policy approaches, technical guidance, and options for financing. Participants emphasised the need for more capacity building and peer to peer learning events in the style of the workshop.
The workshop was organized by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) together with the Ministry of the Environment of Japan/ Initiative on Fluorocarbons Life Cycle Management (IFL) and Climate and Ozone Protection Alliance (COPA) with support from Carbon Containment Lab, National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) on the margins of, but independent from, the Forty-Sixth Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (OEWG-46).
