OBJECTIVES AND OUTPUTS

The KIP is the main tool for the implementation of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol with regard to the phase-down of HFC consumption in the country. It establishes an overarching programme to achieve the reduction targets laid down in the Kigali Amendment and, in line with that strategy, develops a plan of action in Stage I to allow Armenia to meet those targets: the freeze in HFC consumption as of 1 January 2024 and the ten per cent reduction from the baseline by 1 January 2029.

The general objective of the overarching HFC phase-down programme is to ensure the country’s sustainable development by applying appropriate solutions in order to reduce the contribution of Armenia to climate change due to the use of substances having global warming potential (GWP). The specific objective of the programme is to reduce the consumption of HFCs in Armenia by 80 per cent over the period from 2024 to 2045.

Armenia’s KIP will be divided into three stages: Stage I from 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2029 (five and a half years), Stage II from 1 January 2030 to 31 December 2039 (ten years) and Stage III from 1 January 2040 to 31 December 2045 (six years). Stage I follows the freezing of HFC consumption on 1 January 2024 and includes a reduction by 10 per cent in 2029. Stage II includes a reduction by 30 per cent in 2035. Stage III includes a reduction by 50 per cent in 2040 and by 80 per cent in 2025.

The overall target of the KIP will be achieved by a combination of different measures to decrease the need for HFCs, such as: (i) provision of trainings to RAC technicians to improve good servicing practices and reduce leakage, and recovery and recycling (R&R); (ii)strengthening national policies and regulations for HFC reduction and their implementation, including economic measures (import quotas and licenses), control measures (ban of import of equipment) and further development of national codes and standards for safety in dealing with toxic or flammable refrigerants, as well as the training of Customs and enforcement officers; (iii) promotion of low-GWP alternatives with climate benefits that align with the Kigali Amendment, paying attention that elimination of HCFCs does not cause their replacement by high-GWP HFCs; and (iv) engaging all relevant stakeholders and encouraging them to better integrate the HFC phase-down plan with their business plans, while placing a particular emphasis on mainstreaming gender considerations into all KIP activities.

Stage I of the KIP will follow the same transversal, cross-sectoral logic to reduce the dependence on HFCs, as the one successfully adopted for the HCFC phase-out management plan (HPMP) for phasing out HCFCs.