The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations with a unique mandate to promote, dynamize and accelerate industrial development. Their mandate is reflected in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) which is to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation”, but UNIDO’s activities contribute to all the Sustainable Development Goals.
* Excerpt from https://www.unido.org/about-us/who-we-are website
With the Kigali Amendment, the Montreal Protocol will be a more powerful instrument against global warming. It is in SARACCA members’ best interest to observe these sustainable development goals since UNIDO endeavours to freeze consumption of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 2024 to meet the consumption baseline. This will be followed by reducing HFC consumption by 10 per cent, 30 per cent and 50 per cent in 2029, 2035 and 2045 respectively. The phase down is ahead of target mainly due to the total reduction of R141 use in the foam blowing industry.
The South African government has prepared a HFCs Management Strategy draft which outlines the obligations of institutional stakeholders which serve to comply with the Kigali Amendment (an international agreement to gradually reduce the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)).
The South African timeframe encourages a period between 2021 to 2030 which stakeholders must tackle the phase down and phase out of HFCs respectively. The phase out of Ozone Depleting Substances is regulated under the Air Quality Act of 2004 which covers hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) but not hydrofluorocarbons (HCFs). New legislation must be drafted to supplement existing legislation to regulate, control and monitor the import, export and allocation of HFCs.
The refrigeration and air conditioning industry are lagging in is its phase down mainly due to economic constraints. The retrofitting of plants and systems is costly and clients are reluctant to spend money in a constrained economy and the cost of load shedding.
The financial support of the phase down and phase out of HFCs is provided to the South African government by the Multilateral Fund for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol (MLF). UNIDO acts as an implementation agency for the MLF and financial support for activities in South Africa is disbursed by UNIDO.
UNIDO has completed over 1000 projects to assist developing countries and economies in transition to comply with their obligations under the Montreal Protocol.
Their expertise includes the following:
- Cold chain improvements
- Industrial resource efficiency
- Food processing development
- Industrial energy efficiency
- Investment decision support
- Standards and trade facilitation
UNIDO mapping the HFC phase-down, together with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE).