Ghana welcomes “green” cooling initiative
Over 10,000 energy efficient and climate friendly domestic refrigerators and air conditioners will soon become widely available in Ghana to replace old existing equipment by 2022.
The initiative is part of EcoFridges, a joint programme by the United Nations Environment Programme’s United for Efficiency (U4E) initiative and the Governments of Ghana and Senegal with regional and local partners.
Countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are experiencing significant economic and population growth, which is driving ever-greater demand for refrigerators and air conditioners in the residential sector.
The programme aims to accelerate the switch to energy efficient and climate friendly refrigeration and air conditioning solutions in the region. EcoFridges aims to unlock a total of $8.4m in potential financing to support the purchase of 23,600 energy-efficient and climate-friendly cooling products to replace old existing equipment in both Senegal and Ghana.
A cornerstone of EcoFridges is a financial mechanism to ensure these cooling products are affordable. UNEP U4E brings together leading experts from international organisations, private sector, and civil society groups to provide tailored technical assistance to participating governments and stakeholders. The development of the financial mechanism is led by BASE, a Swiss not-for-profit foundation and a specialised partner of United Nations Environment.
The initiative also includes the proper collection and disposal of used appliances, product testing, policy considerations, and promotion and awareness campaigns.