The pilot implementation project carried out in A101 stores aims to reduce cooling-related emissions and supports the widespread adoption of climate-friendly solutions aligned with Türkiye's 2053 net zero target.

The Cool Up Programme: Scaling Up Sustainable Cooling supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and implemented in Türkiye, Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan, is supporting a significant transformation in Türkiye in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This initiative aims to scale up practices aligned with the commitments under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and the Paris Agreement, coordinated by the Directorate of Climate Change.

At the national level, the inevitability of this transition is underscored by the fact that, under the existing national Regulation on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases, the placing on the market of certain equipment containing refrigerants with high global warming potential will be prohibited as of 2027.

Rising temperatures, growing energy demand, and the impacts of climate change are increasing the importance of climate friendly solutions in the cooling and air conditioning sector with each passing day. In this context, the Cool Up Programme aims to promote the use of natural refrigerants such as propane, ammonia, and water to reduce cooling-related emissions, and to encourage the adoption of energy-efficient technologies. Throughout this process, alignment of demonstration activities with the national framework is also ensured, in line with the views and guidance of the Directorate of Climate Change.

Supermarket chains play a critical role due to their high scaling potential and broad impact. Accordingly, a demonstration project was launched in collaboration with A101 and the Turkish Refrigeration Industry Business Association (SOSİAD) to upgrade existing cooling systems with more environmentally friendly and efficient technologies.

Within the scope of the project, existing systems using the R404A refrigerant, which has a high greenhouse gas impact, are being replaced with next-generation refrigerated display cabinets based on R290 (propane), which has a very low climate impact. This transformation stands out as a step aligned with the Kigali Amendment, which targets the reduction of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) use in Parties.

As part of the pilot project, R290-based vertical refrigerated display cabinets were successfully installed in four A101 stores with varying climatic conditions in Istanbul, Antalya, Gaziantep, and Ağrı. Through the energy monitoring systems installed in these stores, the performance of new-generation cooling technologies under real operating conditions is being closely tracked. By the end of the project, it is expected to obtain comparative and reliable data on energy consumption and cooling performance of propane-based systems compared to conventional systems.

The initial results are quite promising. It is anticipated that the findings will make significant contributions to the sector in terms of energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and climate impact, and will serve as a model to accelerate the transition to natural refrigerants in the retail sector.

The successful implementation of sustainable cooling systems in A101 stores is expected to drive a broader transformation across Türkiye, contributing significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the widespread adoption of sustainable cooling solutions. 

The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol aims to phase down the production and consumption of HFCs, which have a high global warming potential. The phase-out of ozone-depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol led to a rapid increase in the consumption of fluorinated greenhouse gases, alternatives to these substances, particularly in the air conditioning and refrigeration sectors. The reductions to be achieved through the Kigali Amendment are expected to contribute to lowering the global temperature increase by 0.5°C by the year 2100. Türkiye has already freezed its HFC consumption at a specific baseline value in 2024 under the Montreal Protocol, and aims the first phase-down to be completed by 2029.