MOP37 Side Event

The objectives of the meeting are

(1) To take stock of the progress of the work of the Cooling Hub of the focus areas

(2) To share the planned activities related to the Cooling Hub in MOP37 in Nairobi, as well as UNFCCC COP30 in Belem

(3) To share indicative ideas on activities that might be included in the plan of 2026

Meeting Context

Since the updated priority areas endorsed in the Board Meeting in 2024, the Cooling Hub and its partners have actively engaged in activities related to Lifecycle Refrigerant Management (LRM), Environmental Dumping of Cooling Appliances, Cooling Efficiency, as well as Finance.

At this meeting, progress in activities planned for 2025 was shared, and discussions were held on planned activities for 2026, focusing on three thematic areas: (i) lifecycle refrigerant management (LRM), (ii) energy efficiency, and (iii) environmental dumping.

Regarding with LRM, the meeting featured initiatives in developing countries. This includes cases of development of legal frameworks, including Viet Nam, Turkey, Grenada, and Cambodia. In addition, information was shared on the following:

• Progress made in the development of ODS/HFC bank inventories

• Case studies of the establishment of end-of life refrigerant destruction facilities, primarily through UNIDO’s RRR projects (e.g., Egypt, Tunisia)

• Experiences with the destruction of end-of-life refrigerants using voluntary carbon credit schemes (e.g., Tradewater, A-Gas)

• Case study that regeneration or destruction is carried out through transboundary movement of refrigerants

• Approaches to addressing Basel Convention requirements etc.

It was strongly recognized that Lifecycle Refrigerant Management is now moving beyond the discussion phase and has entered into a concrete implementation stage.

Meeting Context

In the session introducing case study on the implementation of LRM, a presentation was delivered by Ms. Nguyen Dang Thu Cuc, Deputy Head of Division, Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Viet Nam. This project is being supported by the Overseas Environmental Cooperation Center, Japan(OECC) as one of the implementing agencies, and focuses on establishing an electronic tracking system for the management of end-of-life refrigerants in Viet Nam. It was shared that a pilot project is planned to be launched from December 2025, under which private sector operators will utilize the electronic system when carrying out LRM activities on the ground.

The draft guidelines for National Action Plans aim to assist government officials in organizing approaches for proactively conducting cross-ministerial coordination and engaging a wide range of private sector actors, in order to progressively move LRM from the planning stage to implementation.

During the meeting, the following comments on the draft guidelines were raised by participants from governments and the private sector:

• The need to take stock of existing regulations related to electronic waste management

• The importance of aligning with ongoing efforts to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes

• The need to address the importance of cylinder management in refrigerant management

Carbon Containment Lab’s Side Event Closing the LRM Loop: Global ODS/HFC End-of-life Destruction Capacity and Financing LRM Infrastructure Needs

Meeting Context

End-of-life management of ODS and HFCs remains one of the most significant gaps in meeting the objectives of the Montreal Protocol and Kigali Amendment. To help close this gap, the Carbon Containment Lab has been mapping and verifying destruction facilities worldwide‚ documenting available technologies, treatment capacities, and the scale of gases awaiting disposal. This side event marked the public launch of this global dataset and invite Parties, experts, and stakeholders to contribute to strengthen it further. The panel highlighted the financing options for LRM infrastructure needs, ranging from the Multilateral Fund (MLF) to international financial institutions such as the World Bank, regional development banks, and carbon markets.

OECC Director Kato delivered a video presentation on Japan's experience with the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), specifically highlighting the robust MRV system and management under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, which enable the generation of highly credible carbon credits.