UNEP Partners with ASHRAE and AUB on Policies and Codes in the Building Sector from the Montreal Protocol Perspective

As part of the 4th International ASHRAE Conference on Efficient Building Designs that took place from 5-6 November 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon, organized jointly by ASHRAE and the American University in Beirut (AUB), UN Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction organized a special live session on “Policies and Codes to Enable Compliance with the Montreal Protocol.”

With the participation of international associations and support from UNEP, the conference attracted more than 350 participants. It was conducted virtually with 35 pre-recorded presentations by local and international speakers, four live keynote presentations and a special session titled “Rebuilding Beirut” dedicated to the reconstruction of Beirut as an efficient,
safe, and resilient city.

Mr. Sami Demassi, UNEP's Regional Director for West Asia, in his opening remarks highlighted the achievements of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and said, “The Ozone Layer protection treaties, over the last 35 years, demonstrated that the incorporation of environmental commitments within fast growing sectors, like buildings, is doable and can be profitable as well.”

The UNEP live session shed light on key codes and policies recommended for the efficient implementation of the Montreal Protocol with focus on the elements and components that are most relevant to the building sectors. The session speakers were Mr. Essam E. Khalil, Professor and Chairman of the Arab HVAC Code Committee; Mr. Wael Nasrullah, Coordinator of Jordanian and Arab Thermal Insulation Code; Mr. Khaled Klaly, UNEP Montreal Protocol Regional Coordinator in West Asia; and Mr. Ayman Eltalouny, UNEP OzonAction International Partnerships Coordinator.

The building sector is one of the many sectors that was targeted by the Montreal Protocol and its amendments, where the building envelope along with the mechanical refrigeration and air-conditioning components witnessed rapid technological advancement over the last two decades. With such advancement, policies and standards and codes related to building insulation as well as the air-conditioning equipment installation, operation, servicing and end-of-life practices were also introduced to allow and facilitate the shifting from dependence on ozone depleting and high-global warming potential (GWP) substances to deploy ozone-friendly and lower-GWP solutions and avoid deployment of obsolete technologies that are harmful to the environment.

Please click on links to view the UNEP live session and the UNEP’s Regional Director opening remarks.