CLASP Research Supports Ghana’s Efforts to End Appliance Dumping in Africa

On behalf of the African Parties to the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer, Ghana submitted a draft decision proposing next steps in stopping the environmentally harmful dumping of new and used cooling appliances that are also inefficient and/or use obsolete refrigerants. CLASP and IGSD’s investigations supported the quantitative and policy foundation for this proposal.

Ana Maria Carreño, Hannah Blair

Ghana, on behalf of the African Parties to the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer, has submitted to the Secretariat of the Montreal Protocol a draft decision proposing next steps in stopping the environmentally harmful dumping of new and used cooling appliances that are also inefficient and/or use obsolete refrigerants.

CLASP and the Institue for Governance & Sustainable Development’s (IGSD) investigations supported the quantitative and policy foundation for this proposal. See our 2020 report on environmental dumping, which found that 35% of the room air conditioners (RACs) sold in many of Africa’s largest countries did not meet common international benchmarks. CLASP reviewed markets and trading practices to determine where environmental dumping is occurring and identify the market forces making dumping profitable for traders.

CLASP’s Ana Maria Carreño congratulated Ghana and the African Parties to the Montreal Protocol on this momentous step.

The African region has become the global beacon for environmental leadership. This year they introduced two ambitious proposals to prevent environmental dumping of inefficient and harmful appliances, via the Minamata Convention and the Montreal Protocol. Both were fully supported and sponsored by African governments and with the common goal of protecting people and the planet from environmental pollution and the catastrophic impact of climate change. It is impressive, and leaders in the region must be very proud of their efforts.”

Check out IGSD’s latest guide to take action on climate friendly refrigerants.

Read CLASP’s 2020 Interview with Kofi Agyarko, Ghana Energy Commission. “The international community, individuals, NGOs, and research institutions need to pay critical attention and come together to fight the dumping problem. Dumping nations should also be engaged as part of a transition to highly-efficient, sustainable cooling access.”

 For news on the CRP and environmental dumping see:

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