World Refrigeration Day 2026 will take place on 26 June with 'Cool Intelligence' set as this year's global theme, addressing the worldwide refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump (RACHP) community.
The annual awareness initiative is held each 26 June to mark the birthday of Lord Kelvin, the pioneer of the absolute temperature scale.
The 'Cool Intelligence' theme covers how cooling and sustainable heating systems are designed, installed, operated, and maintained. It addresses equipment selection, lifecycle efficiency, system longevity, adaptability to changing conditions, and the skills of the technicians and engineers delivering these systems. Application areas highlighted include cold chains, healthcare and vaccine storage, building services, digital infrastructure, and heat pump deployment.
Participation is open to engineers, technicians, contractors, distributors, manufacturers, training providers, policymakers, and end users. Any organisation or individual can host or register an activity, from technical webinars and on-site training sessions to school visits and public outreach events. The WRD Secretariat will release further materials and supporting resources in the coming weeks.
World Refrigeration Day was founded by Stephen Gill and is backed by a network of national associations and international bodies including UNEP OzonAction, ASHRAE, AIRAH, and the Institute of Refrigeration.
Full details on the official World Refrigeration Day website.
Background on the initiative's history and growth is available in the Refindustry interview with founder Stephen Gill.