“MONTREAL PROTOCOL – KEEPING US, OUR FOOD AND VACCINES COOL”

On 19 December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 16 September the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the date in 1987 on which the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed. This year’s theme is ‘MONTREAL PROTOCOL – KEEPING US, OUR FOOD AND VACCINES COOL.’
The theme is very fitting, since the Montreal Protocol started life as a global agreement to protect the ozone layer, a job it has done well, making it one of the most successful environmental agreements to date. A united global effort to phase out ozone-depleting substances means that, today, the hole in the ozone layer is healing, in turn protecting human health, economies, and ecosystems. As this year’s World Ozone Day seeks to highlight, the Montreal Protocol does so much more – slowing climate change and helping to boost energy efficiency in the cooling sector, which contributes to food security.
Many ozone-depleting substances warm the climate, so the agreement has already slowed climate change. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is set to deliver even stronger climate benefits. Under the Amendment, nations have committed to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). While HFCs don’t damage the ozone layer, these coolants are powerful greenhouse gases. Reducing their use, as agreed, is expected to avoid up to 0.4°C of global temperature rise by the end of the century, while continuing to protect the ozone layer.
The Kigali Amendment also provides an opportunity for improved energy efficiency in the cooling sector. New innovation replacing HFCs offers an opportunity to redesign air conditioning and refrigeration to use less power, allowing expansion of comfort cooling and cold chain efficiencies without increasing climate impacts. The combination of reducing HFC consumption and improved cold chain efficiencies, particularly in developing economies, would also combat food loss.
Around one third of all food produced globally for human consumption is either lost or wasted each year, largely due to a lack of access to cold chains. Food loss and waste amounts to billions of US dollars annually; not only wasting precious resources such as land, water and energy, but also generating an estimated 8% of total greenhouse gases per year globally.
By developing cold chain solutions that are more efficient, more climate friendly, and cheaper to buy and operate, cold chains would become more effective and widely available. This would provide producers such as farmers and pharmaceutical providers with access to pre-cooling, refrigerated storage and refrigerated transport – ensuring products such as food and vaccines reach people in safe and good condition.
On this Ozone Day, we celebrate and acknowledge the Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment in its wider efforts to keep us, our food, and vaccines cool!
For more information, visit https://www.unep.org/ozonaction/who-we-are/about-montreal-protocol?_ga=2.204682768.1851264753.1631126239-930946714.1627583544

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.