Community Refrigerant Management, Ghana

Analysis of 100 different solutions to climate change found that refrigerant gas management – which includes chlorofluorocarbons – could have the greatest greenhouse gas reduction potential between 2020 and 2050. 

This is a grassroots program to locate and collect dispersed cans and cylinders of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), aggregate the refrigerant inside, and dispose of the material without harming the environment. This is done through partnership with a small recycling centre in Pokuase, Ghana. 

The organisation recycles old, inefficient refrigerators and offers a rebate for people in Ghana to upgrade to newer, more efficient appliances. In the recycling process, harmful CFCs inside the old units are drained and collected, and - because Ghana has no approved destruction facility that can handle these potent gases - a US-based partner has been found for destruction under a protocol published by the Verified Carbon Standard.

In addition to delivering emissions reductions to help take urgent action to combat climate change (SDG 13), the project delivers a number of other sustainable development benefits. These include:

• No Poverty: By providing formal employment and benefits to dozens of individuals, the project lifts them out of the dangerous electronic waste black market and trains them in sustainable electronic waste recycling practices.
• Responsible Consumption and Production: The project has reduced the unauthorised and environmentally-harmful burning of electric cables by over 30% since installing its cable granulator. Globally we produce 50 million tonnes of e-waste a year. By safely disposing of refrigerant gases, the project helps deliver responsible consumption of air conditioning units.