UNEP OzonAction, part of the UN Environment Programme’s Law Division, serves 147 developing countries through the Compliance Assistance Programme. Three briefing notes — “Policies for Life-Cycle Refrigerant Management,” “Financing Life-Cycle Refrigerant Management” and “Deep Dive into Life-Cycle Refrigerant Management” — set out policy, financing and technical options for managing refrigerants across their life cycle.
The policy note defines life-cycle refrigerant management as an integrated approach covering refrigerant production, storage and transport; equipment design, manufacture and installation; operation and maintenance; and recovery, reuse and environmentally sound disposal. It describes aligned legal frameworks, enforceable regulations, economic incentives, data management, infrastructure, technological support and stakeholder capacity-building.
Regulatory options include prohibitions on intentional venting, regular inspections and leak repairs, recovery and reuse requirements, quality standards for recycled refrigerants, certification of personnel and equipment, reporting systems and penalties for non-compliance. The note also outlines links with the Montreal Protocol, Paris Agreement and Basel Convention.
The technical briefing follows the refrigerant life cycle from leak prevention during equipment design, manufacturing, transport, installation and operation to recovery, recycling, reclamation, destruction and disposal. It describes reverse supply chains using refillable cylinders, recovery equipment, transport and centralized facilities to direct refrigerants towards reuse, reclamation or destruction.
The financing note reviews the Multilateral Fund, extended producer responsibility and product stewardship schemes, voluntary and compliance carbon markets, and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It identifies capital and operating costs associated with leak detection, recovery equipment, reclamation infrastructure, destruction facilities, labour, transport, analysis, reporting and verification.
A funding window established by the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund supports eligible Article 5 countries in preparing inventories of used or unwanted controlled substances and plans for collection, transport and disposal, including recycling, reclamation and cost-effective destruction.
