News

Energy-efficiency and Ozone experts meet to explore cooperation and funding opportunities for climate protection in Montreal Protocol context

Paris, France, 26 June 2023 ‒ UNEP OzonAction joined with the World Refrigeration Day Secretariat and industry associations worldwide to celebrate World Refrigeration Day, 26 June. The focus of the 2023 campaign is “Next Generation Cooling” (NextGenCooling), both in the sense of technology and the people who design, manufacture install, and operate it.

Erbil, Iraq, 23 June 2023 – Twenty-seven (27) Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) instructors (25 male, 2 female) from across Iraq successfully participated in the “Training of Trainers on the safe handling of refrigerants and application of good practices in refrigeration” held at the Vocational Training Directorate in Erbil, Iraq Kurdistan from 18 to 20 June 2023.

Amman, Jordan, 23 May 2023 ‒ The UNEP OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP), West Asia Office, organized a training workshop for new National Ozone Officers (NOOs) and staff of the National Ozone Units (NOUs) in Iraq and Jordan as part of the Regional Network service it provides to Article 5 countries in the West Asia region, and in its role as an Implementing Agency of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal P

Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, 17 May 2023 ‒  The UNEP OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP), West Asia Regional Office, jointly organized with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), a two-day stakeholders’ consultation workshop to discuss the implementation of the preparatory project for Stage II of the HCFC Phase-Out Management Plan (HPMP) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as approved by the Executive Committee (ExCom) at its 86th Meeting.

Riyadh, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 24 March 2023 — UNEP OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP), West Asia, in consultation and close cooperation with the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the GCC Standardization Organization (GCCSO), organized a two-day thematic technical meeting on 12-13 March 2023 at the headquarters of the GCC Secretariat in Riyadh, KSA.

Beirut, Lebanon, 15 July 2022 ‒ The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP), West Asia Office, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization  (UNIDO) and the National Ozone Unit (NOU) of the Syrian Arab Republic, organized a successful two-day workshop from 23-24 June 2022 in Beirut, Lebanon, for the manufacturing sector of Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning (RAC) and thermal insulations in Syria on alternative technologies and data verification for the investment components of the HCFC Phase-out Managemen

The following stories from Togo and United Arab Emirates are an extract from the booklet 'Women in the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry."   STORY BY AGBAVOR YAWA MAWULI, TOGO In 2004 I enrolled at the CRETFP (regional centre for technical education and vocational training) to receive training in refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) and two years later obtained my qualification.

Damascus, Syria, 31 January 2022 ‒ The UNEP OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) in West Asia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment of the Syrian Arab Republic, organized a physical workshop in Damascus on 18 January to present the outcomes of the Kigali Enabling Activities project that was completed in 2021, to initiate the preparation of the national Kigali Implementation Plan (KIP) to phase down  Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and to launch the implementation of the Hydroc

Doha, Qatar, 08 September 2021 ‒ The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP), West Asia Office, in cooperation with the National Ozone Unit (NOU) of the Government of State of Qatar, Ministry of Municipality and Environment, organized a successful online technical workshop for Stakeholders on the Development and Adoption of International Standards, as part of the country’s efforts to accomplish the tasks under the Kigali Amendment Enabling Activities project.

Damascus, Syria, 19 August 2021 ‒ The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP), West Asia Office, in cooperation with the National Ozone Unit (NOU) of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ministry of Local Administration and Environment, organized a successful two-day (17-18 July 2021) online training for technicians on Leak Detection, Safe handling of refrigerants and Good Practices and a Consultation Meeting for Stakeholders on the Development and Adoption of International Standards as part of their Country Programme to accomplish the tasks un

Saudi Arabia, 16 July 2021 - The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP), West Asia Office in association with its partners the National Ozone Unit (NOU) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the KSA-Customs Office, and in cooperation with the Philippines Ozone Desk organized a successful two-day (12-13 July 2021) online training for Customs Officers to accomplish the tasks under the HCFC Phase-Out Management Plan (HPMP) in Saudi Arabia.  It is worth noting that this was the first time the West Asia Network coordinated with the South

Beirut, Lebanon, 11 November 2020 ‒ As part of the 4th International ASHRAE Conference on Efficient Building Designs that took place from 5-6 November 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon, organized jointly by ASHRAE and the American University in Beirut (AUB), UN Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction organized a special live session on “Policies and Codes to Enable Compliance with the Montreal Protocol.”

Damascus, Syria, 27 October 2020 ‒ Despite the challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Syrian Arabic Republic continues to honour its commitments under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and is preparing itself for the next phase of this multilateral environmental agreement: the phase down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are widely used in refrigeration, air conditioning and foam manufacturing.

5 May 2020, Doha, Qatar – The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on the world, what UN Secretary General  António Guterres calls "a public health emergency… an economic crisis, a social crisis and a human crisis that is fast becoming a human rights crisis." While the world is grappling with this multifaceted challenge, most of humanity is now experiencing the “Great Lockdown” where in-person gatherings have been replaced by social distancing to protect public health.

6 January 2020, Muscat  ̶  Refrigeration and air conditioning is at the heart of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

30 December 2019, Muscat  ̶  Illegal trade in substances controlled by the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), undermines national commitments under this international environmental agreement. It also violates national laws, deprives the government of rightful income, and supports other forms of illegal activity. Customs officials worldwide, including those in Oman, are highly committed to protecting their borders by fighting this illicit chemical trade.

In late November and mid-December 2019, both the Maldives and Sri Lanka, in cooperation with UNEP OzonAction and the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigerating Institute (AHRI), advanced the Refrigerant Driving License (RDL) program by conducting technicians training sessions under the pilot stage of the RDL program targeting 31 local technicians who were trained and tested against RDL minimum requirements of competencies and skills.

ATLANTA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 16 January 2019 — In the margins of the ASHRAE Winter Conference and in the presence of members of the ASHRAE Associate Societies Alliance (AASA) representing more than sixty international refrigeration and air-conditioning engineering associations from all continents, ASHRAE and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction launched their sixth biennial joint workplan under the theme “Refrigerant Management for Developing Economies.”

West Asian polyurethane foam manufacturers met here at a United Nations forum to review their preparedness for switching to climate-friendly technologies following the historic October 2016 global agreement to phase down the powerful greenhouse gases that are also used in the industry.