The handbook contains 31 articles by individual authors covering the following issues: policies and legislation on F-gases and related issues (Part 1), safety concerns and means to overcome (Part 2), a technical assessment of natural refrigerants in different applications (air conditioning, commercial and industrial refrigeration and heat pumps) (Part 3), and case studies by manufacturers and end-users providing insights into market developments and examples of successful conversions to natural refrigerants (Part 4).

This project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). It is the first global project on ODS waste management dedicated to the development and implementation of integrated strategies for reducing the emissions of Ozone-depleting substances containing waste.

Since 1998, GTZ Proklima has started to assist the National Ozone Units (NOUs) of 17 African countries with meeting their CFC phase-out targets under the Montreal Protocol. A national Refrigerant Management Plan (RMP) has been developed and is being implemented for each country. These aim to gradually reduce CFC consumption to zero in the refrigeration and air conditioning sectors.

The 193 individual country profiles capture the status and progress of all UN Member States, and the 80+ indicators include a wealth of information on child, adolescent and adult anthropometry and nutritional status, in addition to intervention coverage, food supply, economics, and demography. This tool is particularly useful for nutrition champions at the country-level, as it presents a wide range of evidence needed to assess country progress in improving nutrition and nutrition-related outcomes.