Refrigerants & environment
Nigeria and Venezuela Advance HFC Phase-Down Readiness in UNEP Kigali Anniversary Series
UNEP OzonAction's "10 Years, 10 Perspectives" series spotlights Nigeria's 2023 HFC licensing and customs-enforcement buildout and Venezuela's 2025 expansion of refrigeration technician training and refrigerant regeneration capacity, ahead of the 38th Meeting of the Parties.
Two countries at different stages of Kigali Amendment implementation feature in UNEP OzonAction's "10 Years, 10 Perspectives" series, marking the 10th anniversary of the amendment.
Nigeria: licensing, quotas and customs enforcement
In 2023 Nigeria updated its regulations on ozone-depleting substances to incorporate HFC phase-down provisions. The National Ozone Office has since worked with permitting authorities, customs officials and other stakeholders to strengthen implementation of the national HFC licensing and quota system.
Customs training activities reached 40 customs trainers, 50 customs officers and 80 clearing agents. The curriculum covered Kigali Amendment requirements, HFC controls and quota implementation, with the stated aim of identifying potentially non-compliant shipments while facilitating legitimate trade.
Venezuela: technician training and refrigerant recovery
Venezuelan refrigeration training programmes expanded in 2025 to cover refrigerant recovery, leak prevention, hydrocarbons, energy efficiency and safe handling of natural refrigerants. During the year:
- 153 technicians received accreditation;
- 526 technicians participated in awareness and technical activities;
- 100 thermal-mechanics students completed training.
The Venezuelan Fund for Industrial and Technological Conversion Foundation (FONDOIN) supported refrigerant recovery and regeneration activities by providing refrigerant identifiers and technical training to regeneration centres and by backing procedures for assessing recovered refrigerants. At the Francisco de Miranda National Refrigerant Regeneration Centre, 1,260 kg (approximately 2,778 lb) of fluorinated refrigerants were collected for regeneration and 340 kg (approximately 750 lb) for destruction. Work also progressed on establishing a regeneration centre in Zulia.
About the series
The country snapshots form part of UNEP OzonAction's weekly series published ahead of the 38th Meeting of the Parties. The experiences are based on country submissions and will also appear in the OzonAction Scoop and a compilation on the OzonAction website.
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