Almost as much energy is used for refrigeration, air conditioning and insulation worldwide as for transport or heating. On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the GIZ ‘Proklima’ project has now been working for some 15 years to help introduce environment- and climate-friendly alternatives to ozonedepleting industrial gases (such as chlorofluorocarbon, CFCs) in partner countries. Proklima thus supports developing and emerging countries in fulfilling their obligations arising from the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer.

Currently, all supermarket refrigeration systems in Southern Africa operate on fluorinated refrigerants with high ozone-depleting and/or global warming potentials. Modern, environmentally friendlier technology based on natural refrigerants is still completely unknown there and is seen with some concern. Most equipment owners, refrigeration engineers and service technicians have been reluctant to discuss these technologies due to potential safety issues.