World Ozone Day 2026

Sep 16, 2026

2 min read

VIVEK NALI

World Ozone Day, officially known as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, is observed every year on 16 September. The day commemorates the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer on 16 September 1987.
The theme of World Ozone Day 2026 was “Global Action for a Cooler Planet”, with special emphasis on celebrating 10 years of sustainable cooling under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Adopted in 2016, the Kigali Amendment aims to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases commonly used in cooling applications.
India has been a party to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol since 1992. India ratified the Kigali Amendment in September 2021, and it entered into force for India on 26 December 2021. India is scheduled to phase down HFC production and consumption in stages beginning in 2032, reaching an 85% reduction by 2047 against the prescribed baseline.
The scientific confirmation of the depletion of the ozone layer prompted the international community to establish a mechanism for cooperation to take action to protect the ozone layer. This was formalized in the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, which was adopted and signed by 28 countries, on 22 March 1985. In September 1987, this led to the drafting of The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
On 16th September 2009, the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol became the first treaties in the history of the United Nations to achieve universal ratification.