Ghana’s refrigeration and air-conditioning technicians are at the frontline of the cooling transition. To support this transition, stakeholders gathered to review and validate new training programmes and materials on Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Refrigeration technology and Mobile Air-Conditioning (MAC) systems under the Kigali Implementation Plan (KIP).

The validation workshop brought together representatives from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Government Ministries, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), industry associations, training institutions from the academia, technicians and other key stakeholders to assess the relevance, quality and practicality of the proposed training programme and curriculum before their rollout.

The initiative forms part of Ghana’s efforts to implement its commitments under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which seeks to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and promote the adoption of environmentally sustainable cooling technologies.

Speaking at the workshop, Felix Addo Okyireh, Director of the Climate Change and Ozone Unit at the EPA, highlighted the importance of building the technical expertise required to support Ghana’s transition to climate-friendly cooling solutions.

“The refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) sector play a key role in our daily lives, but if not well managed, it can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. That is why the Government of Ghana is implementing Stage I of the Kigali Implementation Plan to phase down HFCs, with a target of a 10% reduction in national consumption by 2030, while promoting energy efficiency and sustainable cooling. This validation is an important step to ensure the technical direction of the programme is sound and fit for purpose as we progress into implementation,” he said.