Educational institutions

As the Earth warms at a dangerous pace, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)-led Cool Coalition, with the United Arab Emirates’ incoming presidency of COP28, announced the development of a Global Cooling Pledge and a “Cool COP Menu of Actions” that will feature prominently at COP28. The Menu will be defined over the coming months in close collaboration with partners including the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL).

The Green Cooling Initiative is currently organizing a series of trainings in Kenya with a focus on brazing for appliances using natural refrigerants such as R290. This will enable technicians in Kenya to improve their knowledge and experience of brazing and how to deal with the natural refrigerant R290, therefore leading to less direct emissions.

The ozone layer is on track to recover within four decades, with the global phaseout of ozone-depleting chemicals already benefitting efforts to mitigate climate change. This is the conclusion of a UN-backed panel of experts, presented today at the American Meteorological Society’s 103rd annual meeting. Examining novel technologies such as geoengineering for the first time, the panel warns of unintended impacts on the ozone layer.

Researchers hope that ionocaloric cooling could someday help replace refrigerants with high global warming potential and provide safe, efficient cooling and heating for homes.

From 1 January 2023, the Australian Government will no longer charge fees to dispose of halon surrendered within Australia to the National Halon Bank.

After a slight increase in 2020, the total supply of F-gases to the EU continued to decline in 2021, according to the latest report from the European Environment Agency.

Industry groups from Europe and Japan have condemned F-gas amendments proposed by lead rapporteur Bas Eickhout, saying they would jeopardise the wider EU climate and energy targets.

European industry group EPEE has called for a realistic HFC phase down in order to meet EU plans to move away from fossil fuels.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and The Republic of Indonesia have become the latest countries to ratify the Kigali Amendment to phase down HFC refrigerants.

The world celebrates the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer once a year, but for Saint Lucia, the annual month-long observance highlights year-round work on ozone protection.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced a new initiative at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) – the Nature for Cool Cities Challenge, which incentivizes cities to use the cooling power of nature.

Many causes of air pollution, such as vehicle emissions and industrial fumes, are more apparent outdoors, but air quality indoors can be equally poor. It can be a particularly acute problem in enclosed spaces like classrooms, with children being more vulnerable to the effects of pollution.

On the 35th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol, it is fitting that you have returned to the city where it all began. Congratulations to all Parties and others involved for carrying out a repair job on a planetary scale. The ozone layer is now healing. Your work has delivered so many benefits, by both protecting the planet from UV radiation and slowing climate change.

Entries are now being accepted for the ASHRAE and OzonAction of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) 2022 Lower GWP Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Innovation Award. The award promotes innovative design, research and practice by recognizing people who have developed or implemented innovative technological concepts applied in developing countries to minimize global warming potential (GWP) through refrigeration and air-conditioning applications. The award is part of the ASHRAE-UNEP OzonAction joint workplan for 2021-2023 under the global cooperation agreement established by both parties in 2007.

Massive economic losses due to sweltering temperatures brought on by human-caused climate change are not just a problem for the distant future. A study in the journal Science Advances has found that more severe heat waves resulting from global warming have already cost the world economy trillions of dollars since the early 1990s—with the world’s poorest and lowest carbon-emitting nations suffering the most.

A US team has developed what is claimed to be a first-of-its-kind tool that can calculate how much carbon dioxide buildings and homes produce.

ATMOspher has published a new report examining the reported evidence that HFO-1234yf, used widely as a refrigerant by itself and in blends, represents a growing threat to human health and the environment via its atmospheric degradation product, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA).

The Antarctic ozone hole last week peaked at a moderately large size for the third straight year — bigger than the size of North America — but experts say it’s still generally shrinking despite recent blips because of high altitude cold weather.

With 2 weeks to go, parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer will be preparing for the first in-person Meeting of the Parties (MOP34) since COVID-19 shut down life as we knew it.

A group of trainers from the UK, Germany and Italy, in collaboration with manufacturer Clivet, have launched a joint training programme to increase awareness and build competency in the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in split systems.