Background

All Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) used in Guyana are confined to the refrigeration and air –conditioning sector. To date, Guyana has made good progress towards meeting the consumption reduction objectives of the Montreal Protocol. This is as a result of the successes achieved in implementing projects under its Country Programme, Refrigerant Management Plan and Refrigerant Management Plan Review. Notwithstanding this success, there are challenges that need immediate attention.

Technicians are currently practicing backward retrofitting of equipment and in the domestic and Mobile Air-Conditioning (MAC) sub sectors there is a large number of free lance service providers with only hands-on training and therefore with no knowledge of recovery and recycling (R&R) or retrofit techniques and generally do not have the basic tools to practice their trade.

In order to meet the 2010 complete phase out of Annex A CFC consumption development of skills and capacity to recover and reuse refrigerants, retrofitting of existing equipment and the strengthening of the enforcement and compliance framework are critical issues which need to be addressed.

The Guyana Terminal Phase- out Plan (TPMP) a joint effort of UNEP and UNDP was prepared in 2007.  One component of the Plan will be implemented by UNDP and the other two by UNEP. It is expected that with the implementation of these components the country will completely phase out of the use of CFCs by the end of 2009. This UNDP component focuses on building capacity and skills of technicians and businesses.

Objective

To develop the skills of technicians to avoid the use of virgin CFCs through better servicing techniques, recovery and reuse of refrigerants and the retrofitting of CFC-based equipment.

Expected resultsGuyana will meet its targeted reduction of 3.3 ODP tonnes of CFCs by the end of 2009.

Last Revised:  June 2008