Abating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Obsolete RAC equipmenttiseurs domestiques (AGORA)

Ghana and Nigeria are faced with rising demand for domestic refrigeration and air-conditioning. This upward trend and its envi-ronmental impact needs to be managed, as domestic refrigerators and air conditioners (RAC) can be major greenhouse gas emitters. In order to respond to demand while preserving the climate, the Ghanaian government has put in place a system of discounts and rebates with the objective of encouraging consumers to acquire new and more environmentally-friendly equip-ments, and to reduce the use of older, more polluting systems.

In supporting the Agora project, the FFEM is continuing and building upon its work in Ghana and replicating it in other West African countries, in particular Nigeria.

The project has three components:

• Implementing  or strengthening policies, regulations and partnerships to ensure the success of the rebate/discount sys-tem.
• Leading campaigns for communication and awareness raising in order to build the scale and impact of these re-bate/discount programmes.
• Encouraging cooperation within the Global South through sharing good practices with other countries.

• Reducing the effect of greenhouse gas emissions in the cooling sector in Ghana and Nigeria.
• Phasing-out  of old refrigeration and air-conditioning equipments.
• In the medium term, steering the RAC equipment market toward equipment that is more energy efficient and uses natural refrigerants through the rebate/discount policy.
• Circulating the rebate/discount mechanisms and their adoption in other countries.

The Agora project stands out for its global approach. The implementation of self-sustaining market mechanisms contributes to the sustainable transformation of the refrigeration and air-conditioning market. The multi-country approach is another strong point: Agora encourages the exchange of expertise between Ghana and Nigeria, as well as across the whole of West Africa.