9 December 2013: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved a project aimed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and ozone-depleting substances (ODS) in the Gambia’s industrial refrigeration and air-conditioning sector.

The project is financed through a GEF grant of US$495,000, with co-financing from, inter alia, the Government of the Gambia, the Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), totaling US$2.4 million. It also includes support from the funding mechanism of the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, and will be implemented by UNIDO and the Gambia.

Project activities aim to facilitate the adoption of new, climate-friendly and energy-saving technologies through policy measures, technology transfer and awareness-raising-related activities.

According to UNIDO, the project will be executed in conjunction with two private sector partners, Centro Studi Galileo, a European refrigeration and air-conditioning training center, and Shecco, a marketing and communications company supporting the introduction of climate-friendly technologies. [UNIDO Press Release]