The global initiative, Climate and Ozone Protection Alliance (COPA), works jointly with partner countries and diverse actors across private and public sectors to advance holistic solutions to reduce ozone depleting substance (ODS) and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) banks, ultimately shifting the cooling sector to sustainable refrigerant management.

The South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) as the competent authority for the implementation of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and their disposal in South Africa have given authorization on 28 August 2025 for the movement of six (6) tonnes of cylinders of R-12 refrigerant from Zimbabwe to South Africa for incineration on land by A-Thermal Retort Technologies.

The high-temperature thermal destruction of R-12, also known as Dichlorodifluoromethane, will avoid approximately 33 000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂eq) being released into the atmosphere through improper disposal, leakage through ageing equipment or venting.

Under the auspices of COPA, the National Ozone Unit of Zimbabwe, represented by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate is able to work with the National Ozone Unit of South Africa and jointly pilot regional cooperation to address ODS and HFC banks and close the loop to a circular economy in the cooling sector.

The destruction of refrigerants will not be used for any carbon credit market and therefore do not fall into Carbon Credits Trading Regulations (2023) of Zimbabwe.