The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has urged Malawi and other countries to sustain and strengthen measures aimed at protecting and restoring the ozone layer.

UNEP Senior Regional Director for OzonAction in the Anglophone Region of Africa, Patrick Salifu, says the world has made significant progress in protecting the ozone layer through the implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

Salifu has called for continued efforts to phase out substances that contribute to ozone depletion while promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly cooling technologies.

He was speaking ahead of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, which is commemorated on September 16 under the theme, “Global Action for a Cooler Planet.” The 2026 commemoration also marks 10 years since the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol was adopted in 2016.

Meanwhile, Minister of Natural Resources Patricia Wiskes says Malawi has taken several steps towards protecting the ozone layer, including training refrigeration technicians and customs officers to identify and control ozone-depleting substances and equipment.

Wiskes has also disclosed that Malawi’s annual loss of vegetative cover has declined sharply from 250,000 hectares to 11,600 hectares.

She says the reduction represents significant progress in Malawa!ai’s efforts to protect the environment and promote sustainable natural resource management.