Key Points

• The AGORA project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• It promotes climate-friendly, energy-efficient cooling technologies in Nigeria and Ghana.

• The project will help accelerate the transition to sustainable refrigeration.

The Abating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Obsolete Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (AGORA) Equipment project, a ground-breaking effort to lessen the impact of greenhouse gas emissions linked to outdated refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, has been formally launched by the federal government. 

Federal government launches AGORA project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The initiative is a component of Nigeria’s efforts to promote environmental sustainability and mitigate climate change.

Speaking during the project’s launch workshop, Idris Abdullahi, the Federal Ministry of Environment’s national ozone officer, made the news.

The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Energy Commission of Nigeria, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United for Efficiency (UNEP-U4E), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), organised the event, which signalled the start of the project’s implementation.

According businessday,  Abdullahi, the AGORA initiative was created especially to address Ghana’s and Nigeria’s serious climate change issues. The project, he said, is in line with international initiatives to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals (ODS) and encourage climate-friendly, energy-efficient alternatives in the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) industries.

He underlined that establishing a future in which environmentally friendly and energy-efficient refrigeration and cooling technologies are the norm is one of the initiative’s main objectives.

Additionally, the project will reinforce regulations that facilitate the transition to energy-efficient technologies with low global warming potential (GWP) and encourage their use. According to Abdullahi, this will be crucial in lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

He also revealed that the AGORA initiative is still in its infancy and is anticipated to last for three years, during which time it would work with a range of stakeholders, including communities, businesses, and governments, to accomplish its goals.

Experts highlight importance of energy-efficient refrigeration in tackling climate change

The project’s overarching objectives were emphasised by Shehu Mustafa, a representative of the Nigerian Energy Commission, who pointed out that it aims to hasten the adoption of climate-friendly and energy-efficient air conditioning and refrigeration technology in Ghana and Nigeria.

The AGORA project will help advance sustainable cooling solutions, which are crucial for attaining long-term environmental and economic advantages, according to Joel Darkwah, the UNDP regional technical advisor for Africa.

By lowering waste and encouraging the reuse and recycling of refrigeration and air conditioning supplies, he continued, the project would also assist Nigeria in its transition to a more circular economy.

The AGORA project, according to Mzwandile Thwala, project manager at UNEP-U4E, is an essential instrument for addressing climate change, promoting economic expansion, and improving community well-being.