Oil and Environment Minister and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs Dr Mohammed Bin Daina yesterday inaugurated an international workshop on the availability of air conditioning technologies in high-temperature countries, organised by the Supreme Council for the Environment (SCE).
The minister noted that the workshop follows the ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol by most GCC countries, committing them to a gradual reduction in the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as refrigerants in cooling and air conditioning systems.
Dr Daina emphasised the importance of knowledge exchange and technology transfer in developing strategies to reduce the use of high-global-warming potential refrigerants, particularly in high-temperature climates that require sustainable and efficient cooling solutions.
He highlighted the SCE’s commitment to engaging all stakeholders in air conditioning technology development and manufacturing, along with end users, to assess the future availability, economic feasibility and safety requirements of sustainable cooling technologies.
This approach aims to guide the adoption of safe and sustainable air conditioning solutions over the next two decades, he added.
Dr Daina also pointed out that GCC countries began calculating their baseline HFC refrigerant consumption for 2024-2026 as part of preparations for strategic cooling plans covering 2028-2047. These plans focus on adopting sustainable technologies across the residential, commercial, industrial, transportation and fire suppression sectors.
The workshop brought together leading air conditioning manufacturers from Japan, China, European Union, the US, and the GCC, alongside experts in cooling technology, representatives from UN agencies responsible for implementing air conditioning and refrigeration planning strategies, the head of the Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund, and representatives from GCC ozone units and standardisation bodies.
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