The 2026 National Ozone Day celebrations were held yesterday (16) at the main auditorium of the Gampaha District Secretariat under the theme “Global Action for a Cooler Planet.” The event brought together government officials, environmental experts, school and university students, teacher trainees and professional technicians.
The ceremony was held under the patronage of UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka Azusa Kubota and Secretary to the Ministry of Environment K.R. Uduwawala.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Technology, University of Moratuwa, Dr. Ruchira Wijesena, stressed the timely need to adopt alternative green technologies to protect the ozone layer and address global warming.
A special handbook on the identification, monitoring and control of controlled substances and related equipment, prepared by the Ministry of Environment’s Air Resource Management and National Ozone Unit, was officially handed over to Sri Lanka Customs during the event.
In addition, 50 canopies measuring 10 feet by 10 feet and featuring the 2026 theme were donated to the Gampaha Botanical Garden to raise public awareness.
Awards and certificates were also presented to the winners of the “Eco-Friendly Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Apprentice Technician Competition 2026,” conducted for final-year apprentices in the RAC sector from VTA, CGTTI, NYSC, NAITA and DTET.
The programme is also expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s efforts under the 1987 Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment to completely phase out HCFC imports by 2030 and reduce HFC consumption by 80% by 2045.
