Background:

After successful completion of the stage I of the HCFC Phase-out Management Plan for Iran in 2017,  the HPMP stage II of Iran was approved at the 77th Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund in November-December 2016, with UNDP as the lead implementing agency and UNIDO, UN Environment, Italy and Germany (GIZ) as the cooperating agencies.  Total funding approval was $11,288,177 with UNDP share being $4,905,361; a first tranche of $1,298,170 was approved for UNDP through a multi-year Performance-based Agreement between the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Executive Committee.

The project main target is to phase-down and ultimately phase-out the use in Iran of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) to comply with the Montreal Protocol’s controlling targets through a harmonized national strategy. Iran does not produce HCFCs. However, Iran does import HCFCs for various industrial uses and as a Party to the Montreal Protocol, Iran must incrementally decrease HCFC consumption culminating in a complete HCFC phase-out in 2040.

HCFCs (Hydrochlorofluorocarbons) are widely used in the refrigeration, foam, solvent, aerosol and firefighting sectors as a transitional substance to substitute Chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs). HCFCs are also used as feedstock (raw material) in the production for other chemical products.

HCFCs were introduced in the 1990s and these substances, with their low Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP), were used as interim substitutes for CFCs in some applications and were not intended to be a permanent solution and later added to the list of substances controlled by the Montreal Protocol. It was acknowledged at the time that these chemicals, with considerably lower ODP, were transitional and their production and consumption was also to be phased-out under the Montreal Protocol. Although having considerably lower ozone depleting potentials than CFCs, many HCFCs have high global warming potentials, of up to 2,000 times that of carbon dioxide.

The Multilateral Fund (MLF) for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol provides funds to help developing countries comply with their obligations under the protocol to phase-out the use of ODSs at an agreed schedule. The MLF was established by the London Amendment to the Montreal Protocol in 1990.

Key achievements to date:

Achievement of Iran’s HCFC compliance targets:

• Freeze at baseline consumption level (380.5 ODP tons) by 2013 and 10% and 30% reduction of the baseline respectively by 2015 and by 2018.
• Successful technology transfer under HCFC Phase-out Management Plan phase I, through conversion projects in HCFC-consuming sectors including projects in residential-air conditioners, foam and refrigeration sectors and providing training in the servicing sector has been resulted in phase-out of about 164 ODP tons of HCFCs.
• Establishing and enforcement of a national licensing and quota system under the Montreal Protocol’s commitments to control and reduce consumption of HCFCs.
• Several training and awareness workshops have been held to train technicians on good practices in the refrigeration and air–conditioning sectors.  
• Approval of HCFCs phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) II Phase and final stage to reduce 162.37 ODP tons of HCFCs.