Key Highlights from 47th Montreal Protocol Working Group: Cooling, Super Pollutants, and Solutions

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Secretariat, along with the Coalition partners, participated in the 47th Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (OEWG-47), held from July 6 to 11, 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand. Throughout the week, CCAC amplified key issues related to lifecycle refrigerant management (LRM), the environmental dumping of cooling appliances, and cooling efficiency, through a full-day workshop and a series of dynamic side events, co-organized with partners. The sessions provided timely opportunities for dialogue, learning, and collective action as governments and stakeholders prepared for the 37th Meeting of the Parties (MOP-37) this November in Nairobi, Kenya. 

The CCAC Booth: Super Pollutants

Right outside ESCAP Hall, where high-level plenary sessions took place, stood the CCAC booth, drawing in delegates with an eye-catching display. Here, super pollutants like methane, black carbon, tropospheric ozone, nitrous oxide, and hydrofluorocarbons were brought to life and as part of CCAC’s Now We Can awareness campaign this year. While invisible in the atmosphere, their harmful impacts were made crystal clear.

The booth quickly became a good place for meaningful conversations—especially around innovations in the cooling sector and new opportunities for cooperation with stakeholders tackling ozone-depleting substances (ODS). It served not just as an information corner, but as a space for sparking new ideas, with faces old and new.

2025 Workshop on Lifecycle Refrigerant Management (LRM): Tracking Progress, Scaling Solutions

Over 130 participants gathered for CCAC’s flagship workshop on LRM, sponsored by CCAC, Japan’s Ministry of Environment, the Initiative on Fluorocarbons Life Cycle Management (IFL), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and co-organized by Carbon Containment Lab, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Climate and Ozone Protection Alliance (COPA), and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). This year’s event built on the momentum from OEWG-46 and continued the tradition of exchange, learning, and network-building.

Miruza Mohamed from the Maldives Ministry of Environment opened the session, noting the strengthening global alliance to safeguard the ozone layer. Denise San Valentin of the CCAC Secretariat then walked the audience through the LRM journey, emphasizing that the issue represents not just a climate imperative—but a USD 90 billion opportunity, as highlighted in reports by EIA, NRDC, and IGSD.

Despite hard-won progress under the Montreal Protocol, challenges persist—especially around refrigerant recovery and reuse. “This community holds one of the emergency brakes: a fast HFC phasedown coupled with strong LRM. Let’s pull that brake together.” San Valentin said.

From Banks to Breakout Groups: Global Case Studies and Lessons Learned

Irene Papst of COPA followed with findings from a newly released global report on ODS and HFC banks. Her message was clear: the size of these pollutant banks is peaking, and urgent action is needed to address the entire refrigerant lifecycle—from production to disposal.

The spotlight then turned to country case studies, led by Makoto Kato (Overseas Environmental Cooperation Center Japan), with representatives Marindany Kirui (Kenya), Camilla Noel (Vanuatu), Frieda E. Goagoses (Namibia), and Emilija Kjupeva Nedelkova (North Macedonia) sharing their approaches. Effective methodologies—like structured questionnaires, stakeholder mapping, and existing datasets—played key roles in developing robust inventories. However, roadblocks like low awareness, fragmented institutional roles, and administrative delays were common threads. The presentations of each country can be accessed here. 

Breakout groups, facilitated by partners from UNEP, IFL, UNIDO, the World Bank, GIZ, and UNDP, gave participants space to share country experiences—challenges, successes, and everything in between. Themes such as regulatory bottlenecks, insufficient data, and funding gaps emerged across the board. Participants, especially from developing countries, called for stronger frameworks and sustained support (possibly from international climate funding) to drive national and regional momentum.

Financing and Facilities: Where Policy Meets Practice

Federico San Martini from the MLF Secretariat outlined how the Fund continues to support Article 5 countries in their LRM efforts, citing Decision 91/66 as a promising avenue for expanding financial assistance and implementation capacity.

UNIDO then hosted a deep dive into Recovery, Reclamation, and Destruction (RRD). Guntram Glasbrenner (GIZ/Proklima International) mapped global RRD technologies and facilities—as discussed in this report—setting the stage for panelists Makoto Kato (OECC Japan), Sergio Merino (National Ozone Officer, Mexico), Assimti-Tchao Bibernam (National Ozone Coordinator, Togo), and industry partner A-Gas, represented by Elvira Nigido, to share practical field experiences.

Recovery and reuse are key; and destruction remains a last resort. The imperative is clear: these pollutants must be removed from circulation and reused as much as possible.

Additionally, Yunrui Zhou of UNIDO invited earlier session speakers—Youssef Hammami (National Ozone Officer, Tunisia) and Ezzat Lewis (Director of the Ozone Unit, Egypt)—to join a panel discussion further exploring the topic. 

The Cross-Border Challenge: Transboundary Movement of Refrigerants

The afternoon featured an interactive session on the transboundary movement of refrigerants, led by Carbon Containment Lab. Maas Goote (Carraway Strategies) explored intersections between the Basel and Montreal Protocols and shared key conclusions from the Basel Convention LRM side-event, while Anastasi O’Rourke (Carbon Containment Lab) identified ways to close refrigerant data gaps. “You cannot manage what you cannot measure,” as reminded by Richie Kaur of NRDC at the end of the workshop.

Private sector experience was also highlighted by Maria Jose Gutierrez (Tradewater), who provided grounded insights into the complexities of cross-border refrigerant trade.

Charting the Path Forward

Richie Kaur (NRDC) wrapped up the day with a heartfelt call to action, emphasizing the importance of staying the course together. “We’re not just managing refrigerants—we’re shaping the future of cooling,” she said.

To further encapsulate all that’s been discussed throughout the day, country representatives shared reflections and key takeaways:

• Wenfu Dong (China) noted that recovery and reuse remain economically unviable in many cases—suggesting that market mechanisms and government support are essential.
• Azra Rogovic-Grubic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) stressed the value of harmonized methodologies for building sustainable refrigerant databases.
• Leslie Smith (Grenada) highlighted the need for regional collaboration and better infrastructure.

• Christina Starr (EIA US) underscored the importance of ongoing inventory support and enabling policy environments to sustain LRM progress.

   

Truly, the time was not enough to bring up all pressing issues and brew collaborative solutions. The conversations in the workshop reflect a growing recognition: tackling super pollutants and managing refrigerants throughout their lifecycle is not just about technical fixes–it’s about systems, people, and shared responsibility. Through sustained coordination, bold investment, and global knowledge exchange, the Montreal Protocol community continues to evolve toward a future that is not only ozone layer-healing, but climate-smart. 

Apart from those present in Bangkok, the session was also live-streamed online. You can check the recording here: Progress on Fluorocarbon Banks Inventories and National Action Plans (LRM Workshop)

Side-event: Cooling Systems Emissions from Data Centres

CCAC, in collaboration with UNEP and the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR), organized a side event on the opening day of OEWG-47, with industry experts focusing on the intersection of the expansion of use of data centers and environmental impacts. 

Dr. Baolong Wang, Chair of the IIR Working Group on Dehumidification, introduced innovative cooling architectures, energy-saving strategies, and global insights shaping the future of data center efficiency. Dr. Pattanan Tarin, Head of Thailand’s Ozone Protection Unit, shared an overview of Thailand’s rapidly expanding data center industry, along with national policies in place to guide and manage its environmental footprint.

Miquel Pitarch, International Consultant with UNEP’s U4E initiative, presented a valuable tool and resource designed for public procurers, technical experts, policymakers, and other stakeholders: the U4E Procurement Guideline for Sustainable Data Centers and Computer Servers—a practical resource supporting greener infrastructure design and purchasing decisions.

A roundtable discussion was also conducted, featuring Dr. Shazwin Binti (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia), Dr. Rajan Rajendran (TEAP RTOC Co-Chair), Kennedy Amankwa (Ghana Energy Commission), and Miruza Mohamed (CCAC Co-Lead, Maldives). Together, they explored next steps and opportunities for collaboration, especially in the context of compliance with the Kigali Amendment. The audience was also highly engaged and asked clarification questions to the panel and the speakers after the session. 

For a full summary of what transpired in the side event, visit here. 

Side-event: The Accra-Helsinki Group History, Nitrous Oxide, and Preliminary Insights on Pathways to Prevent Environmental Dumping in Latin America and the Caribbean

In a presentation by the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD), Mr. Stephen O. Anderson opened with an overview of the Accra-Helsinki Group’s pivotal role in protecting the stratospheric ozone and climate. Tracing the group’s history from its inception in 1983 to the present day, he highlighted key milestones made possible by a strong, committed community advocating for sustainable cooling solutions.

Following this, Ms. Denise San Valentin from the CCAC Secretariat took the floor to underscore the dangers posed by the improper disposal of outdated appliances—particularly those containing banned substances. She described how such practices lead to leaks, the release of harmful gases and chemicals into the atmosphere, and the accumulation of unrecycled pollutants. Importantly, she emphasized that the responsibility for proper disposal must be shared across all stakeholders. She also cited findings from a region-wide market study, conducted by CLASP and IGSD with support from CCAC, which revealed that low-efficiency appliances—often manufactured or imported by multinational companies—remain widespread in the market.

Mr. Tad Ferris, Senior Attorney and General Counsel of IGSD, built on this by emphasizing the need to harness all available governance tools to address the escalating climate crisis. He offered a brief historical account of nitrous oxide (N₂O)—its significant yet often overlooked role in ozone depletion and global warming—and its eventual inclusion in the list of regulated substances under international frameworks.

To close the session, Mr. Nathan “BP” Borgford-Parnell (CCAC Scientific Affairs Advisor) and Mr. Tom Nickson (Climate Campaigner, Environmental Investigation Agency) added scientific and policy insights into N₂O’s growing impact on the climate. Their remarks served as a call to action—urging the side event participants to direct more attention and resources toward addressing nitrous oxide as a key climate forcer.

For a full report on this side event, visit here. 

Side-event: National Cooling Actions Plans (NCAPs): Building regional policy synergies to deliver Sustainable Cooling

To strengthen capacity on the NCAP methodology and promote it as a key resource for countries developing and implementing their National Cooling Action Plans, UNEP’s Cool Coalition, in collaboration with CCAC, organized this side event.

Opening the event, Mozaharul Alam emphasized the need to move from pledges to implementation—highlighting NCAPs as powerful tools to help countries meet their Kigali Amendment goals, NDCs, and broader development priorities. Mrs. Eunice Biritwum reaffirmed this message by spotlighting Ghana’s leadership in sustainable cooling and the importance of aligning national cooling actions with climate and development strategies.

Regional approaches then took center stage, with a presentation from Dr. Omar Abdelaziz (UNEP Cool Coalition) on a harmonized NCAP methodology developed for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Panelists from Viet Nam (Mr. Le Ngoc Tuan), Morocco (Ms.Janati Idrissi Rabia), Japan (Mr. Makoto Kato), the Multilateral Fund Secretariat (Mr Balaji Natrajan), UNDP (Ms. Jie Pan), and GIZ (Mr Nils Hansen) also shared insights on how NCAPs are being advanced across sectors—supported by innovative financing models, integrated policies, and active knowledge exchange.

The session closed with a clear message: NCAPs are becoming a cornerstone of climate-resilient development, and scaling their impact will require stronger cooperation across countries and institutions.

For a full report on this side event, visit here.