World Ozone Day in 2026 marks a decade since the adoption of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. This international treaty has proven the effectiveness of:
- science-based policy 🔬
- universal participation by countries 🌍
- strict compliance with commitments
- partnership
which have made it possible not only to protect the ozone layer, but also to ensure a smooth transition for industry to safer solutions in air conditioning and refrigeration equipment.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his message, emphasized that the amendment was adopted to address hydrofluorocarbons—powerful greenhouse gases widely used as refrigerants in air conditioners and heat pumps. With rising temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events, access to energy-efficient cooling systems becomes a matter of:
- health
- food security
therefore, the transition to sustainable technologies must be fair and take into account the needs of developing countries.
With full implementation of the Kigali Amendment, up to 0.5 °C of global warming can be avoided by the end of the century, and with the simultaneous deployment of energy-efficient solutions in ventilation and air conditioning systems, this figure can double. Such measures directly affect:
- climate resilience 🌿
- job preservation
- economic development
All countries are encouraged to ratify and implement the amendment, accelerate the phase-out of outdated refrigerants, and support global efforts to protect the planet. The day of September 16 was proclaimed by the UN in commemoration of the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987, and each year countries hold events aimed at advancing its goals.