On 25 June 2025, Cool Up hosted an insightful webinar titled “Why Refrigerant Choice Matters”, bringing together national and international experts to explore the climate, environmental, and regulatory aspects of refrigerant selection in the MENA region and beyond. The session highlighted how choosing the right refrigerants is essential not only for energy efficiency and Kigali Amendment compliance, but also for avoiding new environmental risks associated with certain alternatives.

Moderated by Barbara Gschrey from Öko-Recherche Büro für Umweltforschung und -beratung GmbH, the event featured expert presentations and country perspectives emphasizing the growing importance of sustainable refrigerant management.

Mohammad Hijazi (The Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation – LCEC) introduced Cool Up’s activities and outlined efforts to promote the adoption of natural refrigerants in the region. Prof. Michael Kauffeld (Hochschule Karlsruhe / University of Applied Sciences) discussed PFAS—commonly known as “forever chemicals”—as the third major environmental threat after ozone depletion and global warming, focusing on how some refrigerant alternatives, such as HFOs and blends, can degrade into trifluoroacetic acid (TFA).

Lara Haidar (National Ozone Unit – Lebanon) presented Lebanon’s KIP 2025–2032, highlighting national priorities for Kigali Amendment implementation. Sinisa Prodanovic (Öko-Recherche) provided an update on EU policy developments on PFAS and their implications for the cooling sector.

The session underscored the urgency of responsible refrigerant transition and encouraged greater collaboration and innovation in advancing climate-friendly and chemically safe cooling solutions across the region.