South East Asia

Map-ROAP-SEA The South East Asia (SEA) Network was the first network established in 1993 with support from the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (Sida), based on the experience of the Nordic countries. Starting from 2010, the SEA Network has been supported by the Multilateral Fund under UNEP, Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP). This further mainstreamed the SEA Network in UNEP CAP along with nine other regional networks.

Currently, there are 11 Article 5 countries in the SEA Network: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam. The Network is supported by two non-Article 5 countries: Australia and Sweden. Given that Timor-Leste became a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 26 October 2025 during the 47th ASEAN Summit, 11 Article 5 Parties in the SEA Network are ASEAN member states, which would help harmonize the regional strategy for implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

ACHIEVEMENTS

The SEA Network enhances the ability of National Ozone Officers (NOOs) and National Ozone Assistants to design and implement phase-out/phase-down policies, strategies, and programmes that are appropriate to the conditions in their countries. The Network has strengthened the capabilities and confidence of the NOOs and Assistants in implementing simultaneous Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) phase-out and Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) phase-down through an integrated approach to avoid duplication of efforts/overlapping activities and to effectively implement Montreal Protocol related activities under the Kigali Amendment regime. This Network has been promoting the exchange of experiences and sharing of information and approaches among the network members, developed country partners, technical experts, the Ozone Secretariat, the Multilateral Fund Secretariat, Implementing Agencies, and other organizations and individuals experienced with Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) phase-out and HFC phase-down under the Kigali Amendment.

The SEA Network countries have already phased out the consumption of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) since 2010. HCFC consumption in the SEA Network has been declining from the freeze level in 2013 at a steady trend. Based on the 2023 Article 7 on HCFC consumption, total consumption of the SEA Network has achieved a 66% reduction from the regional HCFC baseline level (average consumption in 2009-2010), well in advance of their legal obligations under the Montreal Protocol. As of November 2025, nine SEA Network countries ratified the Kigali Amendment: Lao PDR (2017), Viet Nam (2019), Malaysia (2020), Cambodia (2021), Singapore (2022), Philippines (2022), Indonesia (2022), Thailand (2024), and Brunei Darussalam (2025).

HIGHLIGHTS

From 2023 to date, the following regional/sub-regional events were organized for the SEA Network. Background information on these events and past ones is available in the OzonAction Meeting Portal.

2025

International Training for Master Trainers on R-290 Room Air Conditioner Servicing, Good Practices Training on Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Servicing of Natural Refrigerants, Guangzhou, China, 7-9 January 2025
Network Meeting for Southeast Asia National Ozone Officers – Options for Technically and Commercially Viable Low-GWP and Energy-Efficient Alternatives to HCFCs/HFCs, Penang, Malaysia. 22-25 April 2025
Network Meeting for Southeast Asia National Ozone Officers back-to-back with the Twinning National Ozone Officer-Customs Workshop on Strengthening Enforcement of Trade Control of Controlled Substances, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, 16-19 December 2025

2024

2023

Strengthening ODS/HFC Trade Control and Monitoring:

Integrated approaches: SEA network countries continue to adopt “integrated approaches” which utilize existing mechanisms within the country, especially of the Customs Authority, to further strengthen the enforcement of the licensing system, while minimizing workloads to officers. These integrated approaches include harmonized system (HS) code, data reconciliation, risk profiling, post-clearance audit, and market inspection etc. The integrated approaches supplement the training of customs and enforcement officers and expand coverage of enforcement beyond the customs checkpoint to strengthen enforcement of the ODS/HFC licensing system.
Digitalization of ODS/HFC licensing system: SEA network countries have strengthened ODS/HFC trade control through digitalization of the ODS/HFC licensing system, such as deploying a standalone electronic licensing system or interfacing/integrating the ODS/HFC module into the National Single Window System. The digitalization has not only streamlined licensing procedures but also strengthened data tracking and monitoring of trade data through the real-time database. It has also minimized data differences between sources, which facilitates data reconciliation before data reporting.
HFC quota allocation and management: Under the Kigali Amendment, the control measure of HFCs is in tonnes CO2 equivalent. Unlike HCFC, all SEA network countries consume more than one type of HFC. Allocation and management of HFC quota system is more complex as countries have to manage multiple HFCs and blends, which have different GWP values while complying with the national limit in tonnes of CO2 equivalent. All Parties to the Kigali Amendment in the SEA network have established and effectively implemented their HFC quota system based on tonnes CO2 equivalent to ensure compliance with obligations under the Kigali Amendment starting from 2024. The Network Meeting has been used as a forum for countries to share experiences on HFC quota system.
Informal Prior-informed Consent (iPIC): SEA network countries maintain regular communication to confirm legitimate trade of controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol through voluntary iPIC mechanisms.

Servicing Sector: Article 5 Parties under the Montreal Protocol are making efforts in sustaining the phase-out of HCFCs and, in light of the Kigali Amendment, adopting lower GWP alternative refrigerants while maintaining/enhancing energy efficiency in a safe manner through:

Policy options: SEA network countries have worked with national stakeholders to use their legislative framework/regulations to manage the informal servicing sector, such as requiring technicians to be certified, requiring RAC workshops to employ certified technicians as a pre-requisite condition to register/renew business licenses, and requiring workshops to be equipped with tools/ equipment necessary for good servicing practices etc.
Sustaining capacity building of the servicing sector: SEA network countries continue to implement measures to sustain capacity building in the servicing sector by providing training on good servicing practices and competency-based certification. These efforts aim to ensure technicians have the necessary skills for the installation and servicing of appliances through:
- Institutionalizing good servicing practices into the national training curriculum and certification programme of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) authority for students in formal education.
- Development of competency-based training and certification programme with recognized prior-learning (RPL) to recognize skilled and experienced technicians for existing technicians in the country.
Application and database of certified RAC technicians: Some SEA network countries advance management of informal servicing sector through deployment of an online database. Technicians register training and certification programme online to facilitate application and admission process. It has enabled the authorities to have a comprehensive database of applicants, trainees and certified technicians, which can also be accessible for public use. With this, some countries promote certified technicians to consumers through application of certified technicians.

Energy efficiency: SEA network countries, through collaboration between the NOOs and energy officers and with support of their respective implementing agencies, have synergized energy efficiency with their HCFC phase-out and HFC phase-down strategy through financial support under various decisions of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund related to energy efficiency. Depending on the country context, different contexts of synergies have been implemented to strengthen energy efficiency in the context of the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment.

National Inventory and Life-cycle Management of Used/Unwanted Controlled Substances under the Montreal Protocol: SEA network countries, with support of their respective implementing agency, are implementing the National Inventory of Banks of Used/Unwanted Controlled Substances under the Montreal Protocol to understand potential banks and the amount of used/unwanted controlled substances. This data will be used to develop appropriate options, business models, policy recommendations, and action plans to assist each country in implementing sustainable life-cycle management of used/unwanted controlled substances.

South-South Cooperation: SEA network countries have maintained strong south-south cooperation initiatives in which countries that have good practices/successful model on a specific subject shared their experiences with other countries. UNEP OzonAction facilitated south-south cooperation in the following areas:

Capacity building of NOUs and national stakeholders in the implementation of the Montreal Protocol such as good servicing practices, competency-based certification, and customs and enforcement training;
Development, adoption and implementation of a national training curriculum and certification system;
Development, adoption, and implementation of an integrated approach for enforcement of licensing systems such as e-licensing system, quota system, harmonized system code, risk profiling, post-clearance audit, etc.; and
Enhancing energy efficiency while phasing out HCFCs/phasing down HFCs, such as Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), product registration system, capacity building of relevant stakeholders related to development, implementation, and enforcement of MEPS as well as awareness and outreach.

Gender mainstreaming: SEA Network has included gender mainstreaming into the Montreal Protocol implementation, such as gender data collection, gender awareness-raising, and gender promotion activities, and set gender promotion as one of the targets in the activities where possible. Agenda items on gender mainstreaming have been included in the SEA Network Meeting to provide an update to the network countries.

FUTURE OBJECTIVES

UNEP OzonAction through CAP is supporting SEA network countries to comply with two parallel obligations: phase-out HCFC consumption and phase-down HFC consumption. To address the emerging needs of SEA network countries, the focus areas in the SEA network are:

Supporting ratification to achieve a plan of universal ratification by 2026: Support the SEA network countries to determine an innovative approach and review strategy/action to effectively manage HFC phase-down in conjunction with HCFC phase-out in a holistic manner to avoid reinventing the wheel and duplication of intervention.
Streamlining Montreal Protocol implementation for parallel HCFC phase-out and HFC phase-down obligations: Support the SEA network countries to determine an innovative approach and review strategy/action to effectively manage HFC phase-down in conjunction with HCFC phase-out in a holistic manner to avoid reinventing the wheels and duplication of intervention.
Data monitoring, reconciliation and reporting: Provide support to SEA network countries to review and enhance existing mechanisms to allocate HFC quota transparently, to accurately track quota utilization, and to reconcile import/export data before reporting Country Programme and Article 7 to minimize discrepancies in data.
Management of Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (RAC) and Mobile Air-conditioning (MAC) Servicing Sector: Support SEA network countries to engage and manage both RAC and mobile air-conditioning (MAC) sectors based on each country’s context, especially the urgent need to engage the MAC sector, which is a newly identified sector under the Kigali Amendment in all countries.
Capacity Building for Electric Vehicle in Mobile Air-conditioner (MAC) Sector: The rapid growth of electric vehicles (EV) in the SEA network highlights the urgent need to include the MAC system of electric vehicles into the training under the Kigali Implementation Plans (KIPs). Many technicians are unprepared for the servicing demands of electric vehicle-specific technologies. The support includes updating the technology of MAC in electric vehicles (EV) and hydrogen vehicles to assess the readiness of technicians and prepare the scope of training under MAC servicing sector.
Energy Efficiency and Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS): Support the SEA Network countries to integrate a dedicated energy efficiency module in the existing training on good servicing practices and to enhance enforcement mechanism of MEPS of RAC equipment on product registration and approval, control at the customs check point and market surveillance beyond the customs check point based on experience of trade control of substances in bulk and RAC equipment.
National Inventory and Life-cycle Management of Used/Unwanted Controlled Substances under the Montreal Protocol: Provide support to countries to understand potential inventories of banks of used or unwanted controlled substances and to develop appropriate options, business models, policy recommendations, and action plans to assist each country in implementing sustainable life-cycle management of used/unwanted controlled substances.
Gender mainstreaming: Build the capacity of SEA Network countries to assess gender mainstreaming and identify an entry point to integrate gender into the Montreal Protocol implementation workstream.

THE SOUTHEAST ASIA NETWORK

REGIONAL CONTACTS

Mr Pipat Poopeerasupong
Montreal Protocol Regional Coordinator - Southeast Asia & Pacific Island Countries

OzonAction CAP team for Asia and the Pacific