FSM Information Services
Press Release
FSM Celebrates World Refrigeration Day 2020
PALIKIR, Pohnpei—On June 26th, 2020, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) celebrated the 2nd annual World Refrigeration Day. Intended to highlight the importance of refrigeration in modern life, the theme for this year’s celebration is “Cold Chain 4 Life.” A cold chain is the system of processes that ensures physical goods ranging from life-saving vaccines to quality-of-life improving ice creams are kept consistently cold from the time of their production to the time of their consumption.
While refrigeration plays a key role in the FSM’s economic and social development, the gases used in this process have historically caused considerable damage to the environment. Through the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and related initiatives, the FSM National Government has been at the forefront in the world’s efforts to phase out environmentally damaging refrigeration gases and replace them with environmentally friendly ones.
“The FSM has worked within the global frameworks of the Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) as well as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to corral the global community towards phasing out gases such as hydrofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons to eventually eliminate environmentally negative impacts of refrigeration on our planet,” said His Excellency David W. Panuelo in a statement commemorating World Refrigeration Day. “I can say with confidence that we can see a complete phase out of ODS within our lifetime and that is an achievement our Nation and its citizens can be proud of.”
On this 2nd World Refrigeration Day, the FSM joins the global community to celebrate this technology and the cold chain that enriches food and health security programming for the Nation’s citizens, and to celebrate the achievements in ensuring such technologies are not harmful to the global environment.