Project Overview

HCFC Phase Out Management Plan (HPMP) Stage III supports Lebanon in meeting its Montreal Protocol obligations by completing the phase-out of HCFCs through a combination of regulatory enforcement, servicing sector strengthening, capacity building, and policy reform.

The project focuses on reducing HCFC consumption in the refrigeration and air-conditioning servicing sector, improving technician skills, and promoting energy-efficient and climate-friendly alternatives, while ensuring long-term sustainability through institutional strengthening..

Project Objective

• Ensure sustained national compliance with Montreal Protocol control measures through effective monitoring, licensing, and enforcement systems.
• Achieve a 67.5% reduction in HCFC consumption by 2025 and a 97.5% reduction by 2030.
• Promote the adoption of digital management tools to optimize energy use in Refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) systems.
• Strengthen the technical skills of Refrigeration and Air Conditoning (RAC) service technicians and vocational institutions to safely adopt alternative technologies.
• Support policy and regulatory updates that enable effective HCFC control and long-term sector transformation..
   

Achievements & Key Figures

• Advanced the implementation of Hydrochlorofluorocarbon Phase-out Management Plan Stage III by preparing the documentation for the submission of Tranche 2 to the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund, including the 2025 Project Verification Report and all required progress and financial reporting. 2025–2026.
• Initiated the amendment of Decree No. 3277/2016 by recruiting a legal consultant to strengthen Lebanon's regulatory framework for controlling ozone-depleting substances and supporting the transition to climate-friendly refrigerants.   2026
• Strengthened cooperation with the Lebanese Customs Administration by initiating the procurement of multi-refrigerant identifiers and planning specialized training programmes for customs officers to enhance border control, refrigerant identification, and enforcement of the national licensing and quota system.  2026
• Prepared the Request for Offer package for Farjallah, supporting the enterprise's conversion to low-global warming potential technologies under the manufacturing and refrigeration servicing components of the project. 2026
• Procured specialized refrigeration and air-conditioning training equipment for Hermel Vocational School, establishing the fourth vocational training centre supported under the project and expanding Lebanon's national capacity to train technicians on climate-friendly cooling technologies. 2026
• Continued implementing national training programmes for refrigeration and air-conditioning service technicians, including Train-the-Trainers activities to strengthen the national pool of certified trainers and ensure the long-term sustainability of technical capacity development. 2025–2026
• Printed and initiated the dissemination of 500 Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Servicing Guidebooks to technicians across Lebanon, promoting the adoption of good servicing practices, safe handling of refrigerants, improved energy efficiency, and compliance with environmental standards. 2026
   

GESI Component (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion)

The project actively works to bridge the gender gap in the male-dominated AC-R sector (GEN 2 marker):

• Active promotion and hosting of female-only training sessions for servicing technicians to encourage women's participation in the field.
• Collaboration with training centers to develop specific gender action plans and sensitization for project staff.
• Engaging with women’s groups and female leaders in the industry to identify and address gender gaps in the cooling sector.
• Monitoring financial benefits, equal pay, and workplace safety for women technicians and trainers.
• Utilizing sex-disaggregated data to track and measure progress toward gender empowerment in the industry.