Thank you Kigali, where to focus next?
Ten years after the adoption of the Kigali Amendment, the refrigeration sector can look back on a decade of important progress. The Amendment created much more than a timetable for phasing down hydrofluorocarbons. It provided a direction for governments, industry, researchers and international organisations, encouraging innovation and placing sustainable refrigeration applications firmly within the global climate agenda.
This anniversary is therefore an opportunity both to recognise what has been achieved and to consider what must come next.
Over the past decade, the Kigali Amendment has accelerated the transition towards refrigerants with a lower climate impact and encouraged the development of more efficient technologies. It has stimulated investment, strengthened cooperation and supported the adoption of new policies, standards and practices. The sector has demonstrated its ability to innovate and adapt, while continuing to provide services that are indispensable to society.
Refrigeration is fundamental for preserving food, protecting medicines and vaccines, ensuring safe working and living conditions, supporting industrial processes and helping communities cope with rising temperatures. It is also central to economic and social development. Our ambition must therefore be not only to reduce the environmental impact of the sector, but also to ensure that sustainable refrigeration applications remain reliable, affordable and accessible to all. It is a fundamental right.
Despite the progress made, the transition remains complex in some regions. Cooling demand continues to rise, while many countries still face limited access to efficient technologies, suitable financing and adequately trained professionals. The introduction of alternative refrigerants also requires appropriate safety standards, updated regulations and strong technical competence. At the same time, ageing or inefficient equipment, refrigerant leakage and inadequate end-of-life management continue to undermine environmental gains.
The coming decade must move us from commitment to full implementation. The HFC phasedown should be accompanied by a determined effort to improve energy efficiency throughout the lifetime of equipment. Policies addressing refrigerants and energy use should be better aligned, supported by reliable data and adapted to national circumstances. Greater attention must also be given to maintenance, leak prevention, refrigerant recovery, recycling and responsible disposal.
People will remain at the heart of this transformation. Technicians, engineers, researchers and policymakers need the knowledge and skills to select, install and operate new technologies safely and effectively. Investment in training, certification and knowledge exchange must therefore be considered a strategic priority, particularly in developing countries.
No single organisation or country can achieve this transition alone. Stronger cooperation between governments, industry, academia, professional associations and international institutions will be essential. The International Institute of Refrigeration will continue to support these collective efforts by advancing scientific knowledge, sharing expertise and connecting research, policy and practice.
The Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment has shown what can be achieved when the international community acts with a common purpose. Its next chapter must ensure that climate ambition is translated into practical, inclusive and lasting solutions. We need a stable climate and better lives for all.
Yosr Allouche