Maldives is Walking the Talk: Deriving Climate Benefits from Ozone Layer Protection
Male, 11 June 2010- Today, President Mohamed Nasheed,the Vice President and a number of ministers from the Maldives announced an important Joint Declaration for the Implementation of the HCFC Phase out Management Plan (HPMP) during the inauguration of the High-Level Roundtable Dialogue on HPMP and its contribution on Carbon Neutrality.

HCFCs have been utilized as substitutes for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) for use in refrigeration, including air-conditioning units, refrigerators and various types of manufacturing processes. HCFCs not only destroy the stratospheric ozone layer which is essential to life on Earth but they are also greenhouse gases. In 2007, international community took an important step for accelerated phase-out of HCFCs.

Early this year, the Maldives has made a historic decision to phase out HCFCs by 2020, in line with its carbon neutrality policy, 10 years ahead of the Montreal Protocol phase out schedule.

"The Maldives has become the first country in the world to receive the funding from the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol for the country's HPMP. This demonstrates to the world that Small Island States can also be at the frontline in the battle against climate change and the protection of the ozone layer" said Ms. Maria Nolan, Chief Officer of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

The Maldives has committed to phase out the consumption of HCFCs, mainly used in the air conditioning in its nearly 100 tourist resorts spread in its more than 1200 islands.
In this process, relevant Ministries in the country, including the Ministry of Trade, Customs, Tourism, Attorney General and Fisheries, as well as various national stakeholders have agreed to commit and collaborate in the implementation of the plan.

"We believe that going green isn't just ecologically sound but also economically beneficial. The Maldives is famed for its luxury resorts, whose refrigeration systems are the source of most of the country's HCFC emissions. Moving early to phase out the use of HCFCs over the next decade, not only helps protect the beautiful tropical environment tourists come to see but also positions Maldives as a strong eco-destination" said President Nasheed.
Yesterday, high-level officials from the Maldives and the United Nations, along with high commissioners from India and various national stakeholders discussed about the mechanism and the way forward in expediting the implementation of the HCFC phase out plan.

"This dialogue gave us the opportunity to brainstorm about the implementation mechanism, including the policy and legislations, private sector's involvement, energy efficiency benefit, as well as how to put HCFC phase-out at an appropriate place in the Carbon neutrality policy of the Maldives" said Mr. Javier Camago, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund.

The Maldives' HPMP is the world's first national phase out plan which specifically targets this group of chemicals. With its overarching structure, it covers different sectors and stakeholders in the country, including the media. As part of the plan, the Maldives also organized a media workshop to raise media's awareness on HCFC phase out issues on 9 June 2010.
"The Montreal Protocol's success has shown that we now know that together we can address climate challenges through technology support and capacity building efforts. What we need now is leadership to get further climate benefits from the ozone layer protection. I am pleased that Maldives is demonstrating that leadership role" said Mr. Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UNEP.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Mr. Atul Bagai
Regional Coordinator (Networking)
South Asia Network
Compliance Assistance Programme
OzonAction Programme
UNEP Regional Office for Asia and Pacific
UN Building, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Mobile: +66847002257
Tel: +6622881662
Fax: +6622883041
Email: atul.bagai@unep.org

Ms. Miruza Mohamed
Assistant Director
Environment Department
Ministry of Housing, Transport and Environment
Ameenee Magu, Male, Maldives
Tel: +960 300 4318
Fax: + 960 3004301
Email: miruza.mohamed@mhte.gov.mv; miruza@gmail.com
Read more ...
Photos Album available on OzonAction Facebook: http://bit.ly/d6gJu3
or http://www.facebook.com/ozonaction

Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC) and the Environment: India Policy Workshop
on the status of MAC Replacement Technologies, New Delhi, India, 7-8 June 2010.
The Curtain Raiser and other related videos are available on
OzonAction YouTube playlist 'International MAC workshops.'

China Regulates Ozone Depleting Substances
Bangkok/ Beijing, 1 June 2010- After having closed down all its production plants for CFCs much ahead of the schedule of the Montreal Protocol, , the world's largest producer of Ozone Depleting Substances ( ODS) , China, has enacted today the Regulations on the Administration that include controls over consumption, trade, import, export and production of remaining ODS.
Read more ...

The Antarctic Ozone Hole: Then and Now
25 years since the discovery of Antarctic ozone depletion

Antarctic ozone hole in September 1984 to 2009 / ©NASA

A quarter of a century has now passed since ozone depletion in Antarctica was first discovered by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey and reported in the internationally renowned journal Nature in May 1985.

On the 7th May 2010 a symposium was held in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, UK, to celebrate the publication of this paper. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction Programme was invited to this prestigious event and attended in its Information Clearinghouse role under the Montreal Protocol's Multilateral Fund.

The speakers at the Symposium included: Joe Farman and Jonathan Shanklin, two of the British Antarctic Survey scientists who were authors of the original paper; Paul Crutzen, winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1995 for his work with Mario Molina and Sherwood Rowland on ozone depletion; Susan Solomon, NOAA and the former chair IPCC WG1; David Fahey, NOAA; John Pyle, UNEP/WMO co-chair & University of Cambridge; Michael McIntyre, University of Cambridge, Jean-Pierre Pommereau, CNRS; and Keith Shine, University of Reading.

OzonAction made a contribution to the seminar, at the request of the organisers, disseminating Climate Benefit from Ozone Layer Protection: "Low Hanging Fruits" a new booklet which will be of interest to anyone involved in cross-cutting issues between the ozone protection and climate protection communities, produced by the Outreach Division of the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI) and the special issue of OzonAction newsletter, 2010 and Then? Building on the Montreal Protocol's Success and Facing the Challenges Ahead.

OzonAction filmed short interviews with several of key scientists participating, which it is now pleased to share with the wider Montreal Protocol community (see below). The following videos can be viewed on the OzonAction channel on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/ozonaction).

Click on the pictures/links below:

Dr. Susan Solomon, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
and the former chair of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group I
http://bit.ly/aC1fMc

Dr. Paul Crutzen, Nobel Prize Winner of Chemistry in 1995
http://bit.ly/aC1Oop

Dr. Jonathan Shanklin, The British Antarctic Survey
http://bit.ly/bLNZLE

Dr. David Fahey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
http://bit.ly/ddIlli


More details of the event can be found here:
http://www.ozone-sec.ch.cam.ac.uk/o3_anniversary/
British Antarctic Survey press release:
http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/press/press_releases/press_release.php?id=1192
Reflections on the ozone hole - Jonathan Shanklin, one of the team who discovered the thinning ozone layer over the Antarctic 25 years ago, reflects on lessons learned from a tale of luck, public perception and fast environmental change. The abstract can be viewed here (payment is required to access full article):
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v465/n7294/full/465034a.html
Link to the original 1985 Nature paper:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v315/n6016/abs/315207a0.html

Related articles:
Nature has a collection of related articles that have advanced our understanding of the stratosphere and the ozone layer
http://www.nature.com/nature/focus/ozonehole/#letters
Whatever Happened to the Ozone Hole? National Geographic Article:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/100505-science-environment-ozone-hole-25-years/
The chance discovery that averted ecological disaster. The Independent.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-chance-discovery-that-averted-ecological-disaster-1964500.html
Deep reflections on the ozone story. Richard Black, environment correspondent for the BBC News website http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/richardblack/2010/05/ozone.html

Live webcast - Friday 7 May 2010, on the symposium celebrating the 25th anniversary of the publication of the Farman et al paper announcing the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole, will be available at >>> http://www.ozone-sec.ch.cam.ac.uk/ [No more available]

The Antarctic Ozone Hole: Then and Now
A Symposium on the 25th Anniversary of the Publication of Large losses of total ozone in Antarctica reveal seasonal C1Ox/NOx interaction
J.C. Farman, B.G. Gardiner & J.D. Shanklin

British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council,
High Cross Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK

1030 - 1800, Friday 7th May 2010

Venue: University of Cambridge Department of Chemistry,
Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW

The discovery of the Antarctic Ozone Hole led to intensive research to find out why such large ozone losses were occurring in a region which was previously thought to be chemically inactive. This research involved both atmospheric chemistry and meteorology and so it is entirely fitting that the royal societies of the two disciplines are supporting this workshop. The finding also led to the Montreal Protocol which limited ozone-depleting gases and so to close involvement of atmospheric scientists with the chemical industry and the political process. Thus, while the focus is on the atmospheric science, talks will cover the industrial and political developments. The presentations will be given by leading international speakers and will cover the scientific and political importance of the discovery of the Antarctic Ozone Hole, as well as the latest developments.
Speakers include
Paul Crutzen, Nobel Prize winner
David Fahey, NOAA
Archie McCulloch, formerly ICI
Michael McIntyre, University of Cambridge
Jean-Pierre Pommereau, CNRS
John Pyle, UNEP/WMO co-chair & University of Cambridge
Jonathan Shanklin, BAS
Keith Shine, University of Reading
Susan Solomon, NOAA, former chair IPCC WG1
and Joe Farman

Space will be limited, so if you wish to attend this symposium please register at
http://www.ozone-sec.ch.cam.ac.uk/o3_anniversary/o3_form.html
Registration is also necessary to receive more detailed information.

The current version of the programme can be found here:
http://www.ozone-sec.ch.cam.ac.uk/o3_anniversary/O3_symp_prog_v2.htm

Joint Meeting of the Regional Ozone Networks for Europe & Central Asia and South Asia, Istanbul, Turkey, 26 - 30 April 2010

Asia Meets Europe - MEDIA BRIEFING

For first time, the Regional Ozone Networks for South Asia and for Europe & Central Asia met jointly to promote inter-regional cooperation between South-Asian, Central Asian, Caucasus and Balkan countries. The venue could not have been in any other place, since Istanbul is the only city in the world situated on 2 continents - Asia and Europe.

The meeting allowed Ozone Officers from more than 30 countries to exchange their experience in phasing-out the use of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) such as CFCs and HCFCs widely use in refrigeration, air-conditioning and foam production.

In the margin of the meeting, Country Dialogs allowed addressing illegal trade issues through the comparison of trade data and verification of transaction documents. Apparently, significant amounts of CFCs and HCFCs have been illegally traded between countries often mis-declared as recycled substances which are not controlled under the Montreal protocol. Russia, China and other countries are now investigating these cases in order to identify the responsible persons.

Alternative technologies using refrigerants which are not harming the ozone layer were presented by leading manufacturers such as Daikin and Mayekawa. Modern supermarkets such as Carrefour in Istanbul is using carbon dioxide (CO2) as cooling agent which is an ozone- and climate-friendly alternative to ODS. Pepsi Cola Turkey displayed their commercial bottle coolers running on hydrocarbons (HC) and the Croatian meat factory Pik Vrbovec presented their new plant using ammonia (NH3). These case studies demonstrated that commercially viable alternatives to ODS exist and are used in Article 5 countries.

Options of co-financing climate and other environmental benefits through mechanisms like the Voluntary Carbon Market or through energy savings were explained and case studies presented. Such co-financing will be vital when countries of the regions start implementing their HCFC phase-out management plans (HPMPs).

Countries around the globe are currently preparing their HPMPs in accordance with the accelerated phase-out schedule for HCFCs agreed on at the 19th Meeting of the Parties of the Montreal Protocol.
National refrigeration & air-conditioning (RAC) associations will play a crucial role in overcoming the barriers to technology innovation and market penetration. For this reason, Heads of national RAC associations participated in the meeting to share their state-of-art knowledge and to get acquainted with alternative technologies. These associations are best placed to ensure efficient communication to companies, investors and technicians and to inform on alternatives technologies.

As a direct result of the meeting, an umbrella network has been created to link up these national RAC associations at the regional level in order to promote coordinated and harmonized action in terms of training and certification of technicians. The newly established website www.ECAcool.org will be the bilingual (Russian - English) communication platform between these organizations. A working group consisting of RAC associations from Armenia, Georgia, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan has been established with the purpose to find ways forward and appropriate recommendations for future work were developed.

The joint network agreed to promote the ECA Ozone Protection Award 2010 for Customs and Enforcement Officers and identify cases of illegal trade detected or prevented during the period January - June 2010. Furthermore, it was agreed to further encourage the submission of iPIC info sheets and in particular work with the major exporting countries to facilitate their participation.

A special side event was organized for the Turkish military sector to address the use of ODS in military mainly halons and CFCs and a follow-up event is being planned.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Turkey and the OzonAction Programme of UNEP's Division on Technology, Industry & Economics organised the joint meeting of the Regional Ozone Networks for Europe & Central Asia (ECA) and South Asia (SA) in Istanbul, Turkey, 26-30 April 2010.The joint meeting was opened by Mr. Sedat Kadioglu, Deputy Undersecretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Turkey. The welcome statement was delivered by Mr. Young-Woo Park, Regional Director Asia Pacific, UNEP. The participants included Ozone Officers and Heads of national refrigeration & air-conditioning (RAC) associations of the ECA network and SA network as well as associated CEIT countries. Representatives of implementing agencies (UNDP, UNIDO, UNEP and World Bank), bilateral partners (Hungary, Poland, Germany and Japan), international organisations (AREA) and private sector (Neutronics, RemTech International and EOS Climate) supported the meeting as resource persons.

The meeting documents and presentations will shortly made available through the website: http://www.estis.net/sites/ecanetwork/default.asp?site=ecanetwork&page_id=225395AC-4F4F-44BA-BD5F-9163CFA6D087

----------------------------
Related Information: PepsiCo is the second largest food and beverage company worldwide. Through the Performance with Purpose program, PepsiCo is committed to continuously lower its environmental impact. PepsiCo is member of the "Refrigerants, Naturally!"partnership and designed in cooperation with it's suppliers energy efficient bottle coolers with natural cooling gases without HFC's. For these point of sale coolers, PepsiCo uses the latest technology and energy management systems, system optimization, eliminated HFC as foam blowing agent and is testing alternative refrigerants CO2 and HC. Turkey was the first market where PepsiCo developed a nation wide infrastructure and capability of local suppliers to work with the new bottle coolers that operate on hydrocarbon and are 51% more energy efficient than traditional coolers. PepsiCo also has extensive field tests with coolers with natural cooling gases in other countries for instance in Europe, China and India. In this, PepsiCo pursues a dual approach keeping both CO2 and HC coolers as options open. . "Refrigerants, Naturally!"

This second edition of "Vital Ozone Graphics" includes details on the latest decisions taken by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol to accelerate the phase out of HCFCs and outlines the implications this has on the use of replacement chemicals. The Resource Kit also focuses on the linkages and interconnections between ozone depletion and climate change – and the remaining challenges posed by the considerable amounts of ozone depleting substances remaining in equipment around the world.

Vital Ozone Graphics 2.0 - Climate Link is produced jointly by the OzonAction Branch of UNEP’s Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE), UNEP/GRID-Arendal and Zoï Environment Network, with support provided by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

Read/Download the PDF
Also Available as Interactive E-book

Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Ozone Protection Award 2010 for Customs and Enforcement Officers: Individual Customs and Enforcement officers who have successfully prevented illegal trade of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) or products/equipment relying on ODS to/or from member countries of the regional ozone network for Europe and Central Asia (ECA network) are eligible to be nominated for the ECA Ozone Protection Award 2010.
Nominations should be submitted by the National Ozone Units to the coordinator of the ECA network by 30 June 2010.
Read more ...

Saudi Arabia to return to compliance
UNEP and UNIDO recently embarked on a joint high level mission to Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where they had extensive discussions with His Royal Highness Prince (HRH) Turki bin Nasser bin Abdul Aziz, the President of Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) on Saudi Arabia's non-compliance with the Montreal Protocol.

The Action Plan to return to compliance, the need to strengthen the National Ozone Unit (NOU), ratification of Beijing and Montreal amendments and challenges of HCFC phase out, considering that Saudi Arabia is among the 10 largest HCFC consuming countries in the world, were the highlights of the discussions.

HRH Prince Turki assured UNEP-UNIDO representatives of his country's commitment to return to compliance.
UNEP OzonAction
26 March 2010

Avances en el Protocolo de Montreal
During a Workshop on the Evolution of the Montreal Protocol organized by FONDOIN with the aim of enhancing the training of officials in what has been the development, operation and scope of the Montreal Protocol. Mirian Vega, Regional Network Coordinator, ROLAC, congratulated the Latin America and the Caribbean countries for the success they have had on the progress of the outcome of the Montreal Protocol.
Read more ...
Fondo de Reconversión Industrial - FONDOIN
8 March 2010

"Road to Climate Friendly Chillers: Moving Beyond CFCs and HCFCs"
United Nations Environmental Program and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) are sponsoring a conference titled "Road to Climate Friendly Chillers: Moving Beyond CFCs and HCFCs" September 30-October 1, 2010 in Cairo, Egypt. The main objective of the conference is to enhance the practical knowledge on state-of-the-art alternative refrigerants and communicate achieved results, successes and lessons learned.
Authors are invited to submit an abstract on the following topics:
- Heat Driven Water Chiller Technology
- Vapor-Compression Chiller Technology
- Absorption Chillers Technology
- Practical Experience: Operation, Maintenance, Energy Performance
- Solar Assisted Cooling Systems
- Industrial Chiller Technology
- District Cooling
- Facility Dimensioning and Building Integration
- Alternative Refrigerants
- Retrofitting of Refrigeration Systems
- Future Refrigerants
- Funding and Implementation of Chiller Replacement Programs
The abstract should be in Word or PDF format and should not exceed more than a page.

The abstract should contain:
- the title of the paper
- five (5) keywords
- authors' names and affiliation
- name of corresponding author together with email and full postal address,
telephone and fax numbers
- be written in English, which is the official conference language

The deadline for submission of abstracts is April 15, 2010.

Authors will be notified of the acceptance of their abstracts by April 25, 2010. Full technical, non commercial papers are to be submitted, based on the guidelines for preparing the manuscripts, only after the acceptance of abstracts. Papers are due June 25, 2010.

Click here to review ASHRAE's Commercialism Policy.
Abstracts should be submitted, by the deadline, to Prof. Walid Chakroun, DRC, Region-At-Large, ASHRAE, and should be emailed to chillerconference@gmail.com

Lear more ... http://www.rcfc2010.org/

Caribbean Leaders Work on Keeping the Ozone Layer Intact
Environmental officers and other key stakeholders in the upkeep of the ozone layer from Caribbean states met in Belize to discuss HCFC alternatives use in the refrigeration industry.
Read more...

Other related links: Radio 7 and The Guardian Newsletter

Vacancy Announcement: Senior Environmental Affairs Officer - P5
Under the overall supervision of the Director, UNEP DTIE and the functional supervision of the Head, OzonAction Branch in the Paris duty station, the incumbent will: supervise, coordinate and support in substance the operation of the regional activities; establish strategic linkages with networking activities, institutional strengthening, training and implementation of national compliance plans; identify linkages between the Montreal and Kyoto Protocols and facilitate the transfer of environmentally friendly technologies and policies among network members.

OzonAction programme , a star programme of UNEP, that is known for the innovation, creativity, delivery and result based management is scouting for the candidate for its pivotal position of Network and Policy Manager for overseeing its unique and ever active regional networks of government focal points from 145 developing countries in 10 regions all over the world.
This officer, who will be a member of UNEP's Compliance Assistance Programme, will supervise, coordinate and support in substance the operation of the regional activities, including: a) Give substantive guidance to the Regional Network Coordinators on information to be provided to national ODS officers, b) Guide the RNCs on the preparation of the RNCs' work programme and the operation of each network, c) Collect, analyze and present information on critical issues at the annual meetings, e) Secure exchange of experience between networks and promote coordination between the network activities and other OzonAction activities, d) Establish strategic linkages with networking activities, institutional strengthening, training and implementation of national compliance plans, e) Identify the linkages between the Montreal and Kyoto Protocols and facilitate the transfer of environmentally friendly technologies and policies among network members, f) Select and follow-up the recruitment of suitable RNCs, including introductory training of RNCs. This officer will also be responsible for monitor the progress, results and expenditure within the programme, and preparing inputs to yearly requests for continued funding. Qualified candidates should have work experience dealing with environmental issues on the national and/or international level with substantive experience in preparing and/or implementing national governmental policies to phase-out ODS; experience in cooperation with Ozone Officers from developing countries, experience in project management and ODS and Montreal Protocol related issues from international organizations.
UNEP is looking for the candidates who would work under the direction of Head, OzonAction Branch of UNEP DTIE, and should possess exceptional qualities with managerial and leadership attributes.
Closing date for applications: 19 April 2010.
Go to vacancy announcement...

Daily video updates from MOP 21
Throughout the 21st Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, UNEP OzonAction conducted short interviews of key members of the Montreal Protocol community who participated in this event, to get their impressions of the Montreal Protocol challenges and successes from their perspective. The interviews and other short reports of MOP 21 are updated daily on the UNEP OzonAction YouTube Channel.
See OzonAction YouTube Channel ...
5 November 2009 | UNEP

Launching the Programme of Work of the International Cooperation Agreement between UNEP & ASHRAE
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched a joint Programme of Work in margins of the Annual ASHRAE Conference of its Region-at-Large, which held in Kuwait during 3-5 October 2009, to activate the International Cooperation Agreement previously signed between the two organizationsKuwait 5 October 2009
Read more ...
5 October 2009 | UNEP CAP ROWA

Sealing the Hole and Sealing the Deal: Resolve of African Countries 135 days Before 2010 Deadline for Total Phase out of CFCs - Confirming the success story as 100% African countries are set to meet the deadline Representatives of 39 African Countries, gathered in „ rock. city of Abuja in Nigeria to make final maneuvers and set sails towards finishing line of 1st January 2010, when consumption of CFCs and Halons will be assigned to history books.
The 13th ODS Officers Network (ODSONET) joint meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, was organized by UNEP Compliance assistance Programme in Africa, in collaboration with the government of Nigeria.
Read more ...
20 August 2009 | UNEP

Nigeria builds first Ozone village in Africa
The Nigerian Government is building an Ozone village to serve as a technology development. The announcement was made by the Nigerian Federal Minster of Environment, John Ode at the opening of the 4 days ODS Officers Network (ODSONET) Joint meeting,held in Abuja, Nigeria. The village is located in Ogun State. As part of this project, some locally fabricated prototype Ozone friendly machines have been developed. The machines include a box of foaming machines, CFC recovery and recycling machine and hydrocarbon refrigerant production machine…
Read more ...
19 August 2009 | UNEP

Developing Countries Gear Up for a Seamless Transition CFC-free Inhalers for Asthma Patients
Geneva, 18 July 2009 -

Worldwide, there are about 300 million people with asthma and over 210 million with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). As inhalers are the best way to treat these conditions and as the use of inhalers is increasing throughout the world, a lot of effort went into the development of inhalers in the past. CFCs were used in manufacturing of inhalers. In line with the global commitment to phase out CFCs under the Montreal Protocol, research and development efforts for CFC free inhalers were undertaken and CFC-free options for addressing asthma and COPD were developed. It has taken more than 20 years of research and expenditure of about US$2 billion to develop the CFC-free metered dose inhalers.

As a part of the transition process to CFC-free inhalers, health professionals in all countries are being urged to move their patients onto new CFC-free asthma and COPD inhalers at the earliest as all countries enter the final stages of withdrawal of CFC-containing metered dose inhalers. It is important to begin the medication transition now to ensure that all people with asthma or COPD have ongoing access to their medications and can use the CFC-free inhalers competently. Soon all asthma and COPD inhalers available in the market will be either dry powder or will use a hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) propellant. It is important to note that, these inhalers provide the same health benefits as the old CFC-containing inhalers without damaging the ozone layer.

Now is the time to educate patients and ensure they know how to use, clean and care for their new inhalers. Patients using dry powder inhalers will also benefit from this education. It's also a good opportunity to review patients' asthma and COPD treatment and make sure they have their conditions under control.

This MDI awareness package has been developed with the expectation that the NOUs in developing countries, in cooperation with health sector stakeholders will use them. In line with their national requirement, they can adapt, translate and outreach the package within their country.

The resources in the package which have been created for use in different occasions include Information statement for health professionals, Consumer brochure for patients, PowerPoint presentation for health industry, Draft letter to authorities, Draft press release for health industry media, Draft press release for general consumer media, Draft radio announcement script and Draft question and answer sheet. These resources provide details of the scientific basis for the efficacy and safety of the CFC-free inhalers, explain the changes for patients with asthma and COPD, and provide key messages about the transition to CFC-free inhalers for specific groups, such as national or regional authorities, stakeholder groups, media outlets and the general public. They will be available for download on the UNEP DTIE OzonAction website shortly.

For more information, please contact:
Mr. Atul Bagai, Regional Coordinator (Networking)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
2nd Floor, United Nations Building
Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200
Tel: 66 2 288 1662
Fax: 66 2 280 3829
Email: atul.bagai@unep.org

Notes to Editors: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and brining emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action.
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designated to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of a number of substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion. The treaty was opened for signature on September 16, 1987 and entered into force on January 1, 1989. Since then, it has undergone five revisions, in 1990 (London), 1992 (Copenhagen), 1995 (Vienna), 1997 (Montreal), and 1999 (Beijing). Due to its widespread adoption and implementation it has been hailed as an example of exceptional international cooperation, "Perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date…"
About UNEP's OzonAction
The Montreal Protocol is at an advanced stage of implementation. Developing countries now operate under a "compliance phase" which requires them to achieve and sustain compliance with specific obligations, promote a greater sense of country ownership and implement the agreed Executive Committee framework for strategic planning.
As an Implementing Agency of the Protocol's Multilateral Fund, UNEP responded to this new compliance context by changing its mode of operation and structure to better assist developing countries with the implementation of the treaty. UNEP's OzonAction Programme established a Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) that moved from a project management approach to directly assisting countries with specific compliance challenges. The CAP is delivered through specialized staff located in four of UNEP's Regional Offices and in the Paris office of the Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE).
Consistent with the above approach the CAP team in the Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (ROAP) has developed to be the centre for policy advice, compliance guidance and conduct training to refrigeration technicians, customs officers and other relevant stakeholders on compliance issues, promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation and promote high-level awareness by utilizing UNEP's staff.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
UNEP OzonAction Programme: www.unep.fr/ozonaction
Multilateral Fund: www.multilateralfund.org
Ozone Secretariat: www.ozone.unep.org

Iraq Moves Forward on Ozone Protection
Iraq's country strategy to eliminate ODSs is on track after being approved at the 58th Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.
Iraq wants to eliminate ODSs such as CFCs from its refrigeration and foam industries by 1 January 2010 in accordance with the target set under the Montreal Protocol.
The Multilateral Fund will provide Iraq with almost US $6.3 million to finance its plans to phase-out CFCs, halons, carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethane. UNEP and UNIDO, the Multilateral Fund's implementing agencies, will work together with the Government of Iraq and Iraqi enterprises and will discuss the choice of replacement technologies to explore whether new ozone friendly technologies with additional climate benefits can be utilized in order to make the finance Iraq receives work on two environmental protection fronts.
Read more... Arabic | English
10 July 2009 | UNMFS

China-ECA Dialog on Cooperation in Border Enforcement Including Customs Officers Joint Meeting/Consultation, Urumqi, China, 23-25 June 2009
Strengthening national institutions through regional co-operation. Forty (40) Chinese Customs Officers from Urumqi Anti-Smuggling Bureau, Policy & Regulation Division, Field Service as well as Customs Offices in Kashi, Allah Mountain, Huoerguosi and Urumqi airport participated in a training related to the Montreal Protocol to Protect the Ozone Layer in Urumqi, China, 25 June 2009.Read more ...
29 June 2009 | UNEP DTIE

"The Ozone Layer and Climate Change"
DPI NGO Briefing, Thursday, 18 June 2009
10:15 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
United Nations, Headquarter, Conference Room 4

UN Under-Secretary General Mr Kyotaka Akasaka addressed more than 100 NGOs on 18 June in Conference Room # 4 at UN Headquarters. What was so special about it? He was not wearing a tie! As resolved, from June 15 for the next 3 months there is a "Cool UN" campaign; UN HQ will keep its air-conditioning at a higher temp than "high cool", so to still feel comfortable UN staff will not wear ties this summer.

There were other reasons why this address was different. Mr Akasaka was flanked on both sides by some of the most well-known experts of the Montreal Protocol, i.e. Dr Paul Newman of NASA, Dr Durwood Zaelke of INECE, Ms Lisa Manley of Coca Cola Company and Mr Rajendra Shende of UNEP, as well as Mr Jose Pons Pons of the UNEP Technology and Economic Assessment Panel, participated by Skype from Venezuela.

These panel members, moderated by Laura Trevelyan, BBC correspondent to the UN, presented the lessons from the Montreal Protocol that will be useful for the road leading to Copenhagen ("HOPEnhagen", as per USG Mr Akasaka) and how the Montreal Protocol has helped in mitigating climate change and how the 195 governments stand to gain economically by the HCFC phase-out in the near future.

The meeting closed after an extensive questions and answers session and launching a galvanizing appeal to Governments and NGOs to "Seal the Deal" in Copenhagen, Denmark, later this year.
Read more...
18 June 2009 | UNEP DTIE

The network unanimously agreed to enhance this new cooperation by creating a joint website and to invite them also to next year's ECA network meeting in Istanbul. As an immediate outcome, Ozone Officers and Heads of the associations established close contacts among each other (in some countries for the first time) and countries without such associations learned how such associations were created and how they operate in other countries. It was recommended to include a provision in phase-out management plans for HCFCs for capacity building and networking of national RAC associations.

The meeting also agreed on venues and dates of the forthcoming ECA enforcement network meeting to initiate regional cooperation of Customs and Ozone Officers to enforce trade controls for ozone-depleting substances (ODS) in ECA network countries. This year's meeting is scheduled for 12-14 October 2009 in Budapest, Hungary and will be organised back-to-back with a regional Green Customs workshop raising awareness on other Multilateral Environmental Agreements related to hazardous waste, toxic chemical and endangered species. In 2010, similar meetings will take place in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

The Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia and the OzonAction Branch of UNEP's Division on Technology, Industry & Economics jointly organised the annual ECA network meeting in Yerevan, Armenia, 18-22 May 2009. It was opened by the First Deputy Minister Simon Papyan of the Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia and UN Resident Representative Vidal Consuela. Representatives of UNDP, UNIDO, and UNEP, bilateral partners from Hungary and Romania supported the meeting as resource persons.

In addition to the above-mentioned topics, the following items were also considered: Awareness raising on the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and its amendments, status of compliance, data reporting and ratification, status of HCFC phase-out management plan preparation and MDI stakeholder consultations. Meeting participants also agreed on the work programmes 2009 / 2010 for ECA network and associated CEIT countries and set priorities.

The participants included Ozone Officers and Heads of national RAC associations of the ECA network and associated CEIT countries as well as representatives of the implementing agencies (UNDP, UNIDO, UNEP), bilateral partners (Hungary, Romania) and international organizations (AREA, RILO CIS, IIR).

The meeting documents and presentations will shortly made available through the ECA network's website: http://jp1.estis.net/sites/ecanetwork/default.asp?site=ecanetwork&page_id=CCCCE749-C977-4A0D-9CF0-0E43578B048F

The above media briefing is available in Russian >>

For further information please contact:

Control of CTC import by Pakistan through UNEP initiated dialogue between Pakistan and South Korea under South - South Cooperation: Pakistan's Experience

Pakistan is a party to the Montreal Protocol on the Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer since 1992. Pakistan has been in full compliance with regard to import of various ODS. However, the CTC emerged as an area of concern for Pakistan due to its excessive import in 2005 which put the country at the risk of non compliance under the Montreal Protocol.

As per Pakistan Country Programme, the baseline for the consumption of the CTC is fixed on average level of 1998-2000 is 412.9 ODP Tones (375.37 ODS tones). According to the ODS Phase out Plan of the Montreal Protocol, the import/consumption of the CTC in Pakistan was to be reduced by 85% i.e. 61.9 ODP tones (56.30 ODS tones) by 1st January, 2005. Under the ODS Phase out Plan, Pakistan is required to maintain annual import/consumption of CTC at the level of 61.9 ODP tones during 2005-2009 and finally to phase it out completely (100%) by 1st January 2010 to meet our commitment under the Montreal Protocol. However, it is pointed out here that the Ex.Com of the MLF in its 41st meeting had approved funds for the CTC phase out in Pakistan. On that occasion, Pakistan had signed an agreement with the MLF whereby Pakistan inter alia agreed that allowable consumption of CTC during the years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 would be 61.9, 42, 32, 15 and zero ODP tones on 1st January, 2010.

In order to regulate the import of CTC, Ministry of Commerce on the recommendation of Ozone Cell, Ministry of Environment allocated CTC import quota to the following five eligible importers in December 2004:-

i) M/s Sun Chemical Corporation
ii) M/s Tayyab Noor Mohummad
iii) M/s Paramount Corporation
iv) M/s Chemical Trading Corporation
v) M/s Junaid Corporation

Due to lack of coordination between national and international stakeholders, some importers maneuvered to import CTC in access of Pakistan's allocated quota. The Ozone Cell accelerated its coordination with the national stakeholders specially the Federal Bureau of Revenue and Ministry of Commerce to monitor and control the import of CTC to bring the country back into compliance. However, since there is no restriction on the exporting country to export an ODS under the protocol, the sword of unauthorized import of CTC in the country was hanging.

In order to arrest the problem, the CAP Team and its leader Mr. Atul Bagai, Regional Officer, UNEP, Bangkok provided an opportunity to the Programme Manager (Ozone Cell-Pakistan) to hold a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Mr. Lim on the sideline of the South-Asia and South East Asia Network Meeting of the ODS officers held in 2006 at Bangkok to exchange views for controlling the export of CTC from South Korea to some unauthorized importers in Pakistan. In the backdrop of this informal meeting initiated by UNEP, the ozone officer of South Korea provided information about an attempt of CTC import by a Karachi based unauthorized importer M/s Noble Traders. Subsequently, the NOU-Pakistan and NOU South Korea continued their cooperation under informal Prior Informed Consent system (iPICs) to exchange information on the import / export of ODS. This interaction and coordination facilitated NOU-Pakistan to curb the menace of illegal trade of CTC thereby bringing Pakistan back into compliance. In the wake of ban imposed by the country on CTC import together with the UNEP initiated cooperation between NOU-Pakistan and NOU-South Korea has brought the import the CTC to zero in 2008, one year ahead of the CTC phase out target fixed under the Montreal Protocol.

The importing and exporting countries may follow this precedent of the UNEP initiated South- South Cooperation to meet the challenge of illegal trade of various ODS.

For further information, please contact:

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are controlled substances mainly used in air-conditioning and foam applications. Under the Montreal Protocol, consumption and production of these substances were required to be phased-out by 2040 with a cap at 2015 levels from 2016 to 2039. Keeping in mind the need to curtail growth of HCFC consumption which not only has Ozone Depleting Potential but also direct and indirect global warming impact, Parties to the Montreal Protocol came together and agreed to an accelerated phase-out of HCFCs in the year 2007. Under this accelerated HCFC phase-out, the baseline was defined as average production and consumption for 2009 and 2010 for developing countries.

The developing countries including Afghanistan are also required to freeze their HCFC consumption by 2013 at baseline level, reduce by 10% by 2015, reduce by 35% by 2020, reduce by 67.5% by 2025 and reduce by 97.5% by 2030. Between 2031 and 2040, 2.5% average of baseline would be allowed for consumption in refrigeration and air-conditioning servicing applications. An important element of this accelerated phase-out of HCFCs is to achieve this through adoption of technologies which minimize Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.

To develop an overall HCFC phase-out strategy and to achieve the immediate targets of 2013 and 2015, National Ozone Unit, National Environment Protection Agency the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will prepare an HCFC Phase out management plan with financial assistance of Multilateral Fund and UNEP.

The Government believes that data collection and strategy development is very important for achieving HCFC phase-out in a systematic manner in line with Afghanistan's commitments under the Protocol. Refrigeration and other relevant sectors need to assist in providing data and other inputs sought by consultants and Government in this process. Government would also have periodic dialogues with the relevant agencies; specifically refrigeration sector in this connection over the next few months and is expected to successfully develop and implement a strategy for HCFC phase out in line with its commitments under the Montreal Protocol.

For further information, please contact:

South Asia and West Asia Networks of Ozone Offiers meet in Bahrain
Over 100 participants from 26 countries gathering in Manama to participate in the Joint Meeting of the South Asia and West Asia Networks of Ozone Officers from 10-14 May 2009.

Key discussions will include the outcomes of the last Meeting of the Parties and other related Committees and their impact on countries, addressing several emerging issues such as trade of ODS, residential air-conditioning industry as well as the role of Media experts.

As the next key challenge of the Montreal Protocol, finding alternatives for HCFCs, an ozone depleting and global warming chemical which is mainly used in refrigeration will be another fundamental topic for discussion.

Part of the debates will focus on examining the inter-regional networking and experience exchange opportunities amongst industry and governments in South Asia and West Asia regions.
Read more| Arabic | English |
11 May 2009 | UNEP DTIE

UNEPInitiates Climate Ozone Linkages for Maldives
UNEP DTIE's OzonAction Programme initiated the development of the HCFC phase out management plan (HPMP) in Maldives from 18-22 April 2009.

The initiative, led by Mr Atul Bagai, Regional Network Coordinator for South Asia, in Bangkok, is the first of its kind and will explore the linkages between Ozone and Climate change while Maldives strives to initiate the phase out of HCFCs during 2010-2015. HCFCs are used extensively in refrigeration and air-conditioning in Maldives and in the tourism and fish processing industry, the two main backbones of the Maldivian economy.

Apart from consultation meetings with stakeholders, government officials and industry representatives, Mr Bagai met with the Vice President, H.E. Dr. Mohammed Waheed Hassanmanik on Maldives efforts in CFC phase out and the challenges ahead for HCFC phase out. The Vice President inquired on how UNEP could assist with their carbon neutral strategy. The HPMP will evaluate carbon emissions from the HCFC use and will suggest activities to phase out this use which will strengthen efforts of Maldives to make it carbon neutral in the next 10 years.
24 April 2009 | UNEP DTIE

US EPA Honours Climate Achievements of the Montreal Protocol

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the extraordinary climate benefits achieved by the successful implementation of the Montreal Protocol. The prestigious US EPA’s Climate Protection awards presented in Washington D.C. to individuals and organizations for their extraordinary and dedicated work in climate protection – a number of which are receiving awards for their work in deriving climate benefits from ozone layer protection activities under the Montreal Protocol.

These awards demonstrate how much the World values UNEP’s efforts to provide policymakers and the business community with the scientific and technological base for sound decision making.

OzonAction is particularly proud of UNEP winners Rajendra Shende, Head UNEP DTIE OzonAction Branch, who earned his award for helping 145 developing countries through networking activities to comply with the Montreal Protocol. USEPA praised Mr. Shende's longstanding efforts through UNEP's programme to advocate the deployment of policies that simultaneously protect the ozone layer and reduce climate change and the technologies that use low- or no-GWP refrigerants and improve energy efficiency in refrigeration and air conditioning in buildings and in home appliances.
OzonAction's Samira de Gobert earned her award by demonstrating exceptional skills in conceiving and implementing Ozone Layer Protection Communication Strategies among large and small developing countries on Ozone Layer Protection through innovative use of electronic media.
Read more...
21 April 2009 | IGSD

Caribbean Ozone Officers meet in St George's, Grenada, 24-27 March 2009
National Ozone Officers, implementing agencies, the Ozone Secretariat and Government officials from the Caribbean region gathered in St George's, Grenada to attend the Caribbean Network Meeting of Ozone Officers from 24-27 March 2009. The meeting was organized by UNEP Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNEP/ROLAC) through the Montreal Protocol Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) team in collaboration with the Government of Grenada and the Ministry of Finance, Planning, Economy, Energy, Foreign Trade and Co-operatives.

Paul Horwitz, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNEP Ozone Secretariat commended the Network on its success in compliance management to the Protocol including timely data submission and the number of countries that have reached complete phase out of CFC ahead of the Montreal Protocol mandate.

Some key outputs of the meeting were:

- Ozone Officers received sensitization on national requirements to begin addressing phase-out and national surveys of HCFC.

- To sustain the present achievement and implementation of new and emerging requirements, the network concluded that the institutional strengthening projects have to be continued and funding needs to be increased to adequately address phase out requirements.

- There is a need for a regional policy for the standardization of skills and training for air-conditioning and refrigeration technicians to allow for cross-movement across the region.
National Ozone Officers would have further discussions with their respective ministries on building negotiation capacities and strategies to allow for improved representation within the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC).

Contact:
Artie Dubrie, Policy & Enforcement Officer, UNEP/ROLAC (Panama)

Ministerial Consultation and the Contact Group Meeting in
Belgrade, 23-26 March 2009

It was attended by high-level Government representatives of 6 Balkan countries as well as Turkey and Georgia. The resource persons included representatives of the European Commission, Hungary, Ozone Secretariat, UNIDO, UNEP as well as the policy experts Janusz Kozakiewicz and Vic Buxton and the refrigeration expert Daniel Colborne. UNEP's Regional Director for Europe Christophe Bouvier chaired the high-level section and Hungary's representative Robert Toth the contact group meeting.

The objective of the meeting was to raise high-level awareness on the need of introducing appropriate policy measures to achieve the HCFC freeze in 2013 and the initial 10% reduction in 2015 in Article 5 countries. Opportunities to contribute to climate protection from Montreal Protocol implementation through appropriate policy setting and technology choices were also discussed. Perhaps the most important aspect of the meeting was the sharing of experience between countries which had already implemented some of the policy measures.

For the purpose of the meeting, a set of 20 fact sheets of policy measures was prepared and presented during the ministerial consultation. The contact group discussed these fact sheets in detail and assessed which countries had already implemented or are planning to implement selected policy measures. The appropriate timing depends in many cases on the countries' preferences but also on the phase-out provisions for HCFCs under the Montreal Protocol and in case of accession countries also on the possible date of accession and the policy measures in place in the European Community.

Through the HCFC Help Centre, the 20 fact sheets of policy measures will be made available toArticle 2 countries in other regions. Many of these countries need to adjust their policies and legislation in the coming years and it was recommended that countries should submit their draft legislation to the Ozone Secretariat and UNEP for review. Policy experts may be used to present the fact sheets during regional meetings or to review national draft legislation before approvel by the Government..

It is the second time, that the Regional Director Christophe Bouvier supports high-level activities of the ECA network. In 2007, he chaired the ECA side event event on environmental crime and climate benefits from ozone layer protection during the Environment for Europe conference in Belgrade, Serbia.

The meeting documents, recommendations, presentations and in particular the 20 fact sheets on HCFC policy measures are available from the ECA website
Contact:
Halvart Koeppen, Regional Officer (Paris)
halvart.koppen@unep.fr

India to Provide Support to Government of Iran on CFC MDI Phaseout - NOU Iran Visits India, March 09
Under south-south cooperation initiatives, Government of India agreed to provide support to Government of Iran on CFC MDI phaseout related technical information exchange associated with phaseout project implementation with assistance from Cipla, India, ODS trade matters including HCFC phaseout for better control and monitoring and inputs on India's plans for HPMP implementation.

Dr. Ebrahim Haji-zadeh, National Ozone Officer of Iran traveled to Iran during 14 and 18 March 2009. During this trip Dr. Haji-zadeh visited Copla Ltd in Goa, India and the National Ozone Cell of India.

Taking Cipla's current technical and managerial position into account, especially from the viewpoint of technology transfer, one may conclude that the company has made all its efforts to localize its MDI production technologies taking the best advantage of its domestic expertise and local technicians. The company has also been successful in its human resources development programmes through the whole process of technology transfer and trained its required technical staff. This way the company has succeeded to reduce the finished cost of its new MDI manufacturing technologies. In light of the above advantages and given the availability of human resources in the India, establishment of a Science and Technology Committee at local and/or regional levels by UNEP/ROAP is expected to help the Montreal Protocol Regime to make the best of potential resources of the region. Such a committee will be a good place to have the cooperation of all involved countries of the region towards a smooth transfer of technology in general and to ensure specifically the process of replacement of CFC-MDIs with HFA-MDIs, which can help to realize the concept of "Thinking Globally and Acting Locally".
Contact:
Atul Bagai, Regional Coordinator (Networking), South Asia Network
Compliance Assistance Programme - OzonAction - UNEP ROAP
bagai@un.org

Stakeholder Meeting, Kathmandu, Nepal- March 09
Consultative meeting with Stakeholders were held on 11 March 2009. During this meeting, UNEP with UNDP made detailed presentation on HPMP content and HPMP related data collection process. The following were the key points relating to HPMP that emerged from the consultations mentioned above.

" HCFC users primarily are in domestic air-conditioning, building air-conditioning and industrial air-conditioning applications. Apart from HCFC-22, one large hotel in Kathmandu is operating a HCFC-123 based building air-conditioning system.

" No HCFC use is reported in commercial applications, transport applications and use in reefer containers - these (as per participants in the meeting) equipment use HFC-134a. SM advised that while this may be true, this hypothesis needs to be confirmed during field survey.

" Equipment using HCFC alternatives are already in use in markets. They are mainly related to R-407c and R-410a. These equipments are imported mainly from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, India and China. There is no reported use of HCFC blends.

" There are large number of international brands mainly from China, a few European countries, India, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand used in different applications in Nepal. They are sold either through sole dealerships or through retail channel.

" Porous border with India and China is likely to pose a challenge while assessing demand of HCFCs. There was a general feeling that the demand of HCFC is constrained by the Government order. Further, it is important to note that the Government released only 20 MT of HCFCs annually in the market in 2006 and 2007 against the limit of 23.04 MT specified in the order. As explained to the mission team, this was to ensure that "HCFC use in air-conditioning equipment imported into the country is accounted for". The reasoning provided appears to be due to internal Government consultations.

" Mr. Shakya (NREMA) informed that there is very limited use of HCFC based air-conditioning systems in buses and transport in Nepal. He also said that he is not aware of HCFC use in containers servicing in Nepal. He also expressed general pressure in the market on availability of HCFCs.

The summaries of main conclusions have been compiled and given to UNEP for being addressed as a part of HPMP of Nepal. For awareness and publicity, as immediate measures, NREMA agreed to communicate accelerated HCFC phaseout schedule and HPMP preparation related initiatives to all their members and other non-members through field contacts. For this they would use their sub-regional offices in Nepal and also include it in their website. The National Ozone Officer of Nepal also agreed to outreach accelerated HCFC phaseout and HPMP preparation initiatives through FM radio (which would have a good outreach in Nepal). NREMA's website is http://www.nerema.org.np/

Contact:
Atul Bagai, Regional Coordinator (Networking), South Asia Network
Compliance Assistance Programme - OzonAction - UNEP ROAP
bagai@un.org

MDI Workshop, Karachi, Pakistan, March 09
Mr. Shaofeng Hu participated in the one day MDI workshop organized by the Ozone Cell, Ministry of Enviroment. There are about 40-50 participants from the line ministries, as well as the doctors, manufacturers, and the patients associations. The Secretary of the Ministry of Environment presented the opening session of the meeting, made his key note speech, and received the interview of the local TV station. The joint Secretary and the Project Manager of the Ozone Cell participated in the whole day meeting, and joined the group discussion in the afternoon. UNEP resource person from Australia, as well as UNDP colleagues also participated in this meeting.

The meeting briefed the participants of the MDI issue at the global, regional and country level, and shared experience of the other countries for the smooth transfer from CFC MDI to non-CFC MDI. It also initiated the dialogue on policy intervention, as well as required awarness campaign through public-private partnership. The group discussions were very usful and some good recommendation for the MDI control, CFCs import/use monitoring and reporting under the EUN framework, and how to organize the awareness/education programme. Mr. Hu along with UNDP also visited Pakistan Phaciatetical Industry Association and had meeting with its executive members concerning the phaseout of CFC MDI and support would be required from the Association. The assoation also raised issue how to help the one company who is not qualified to transfer its production smoothly.

Before the meeting, Mr. Hu also met UNEP consultant for the HPMP development in Pakistan and discussed the following issues: The national ozone officer also participated some of the discussion.
- The data required from the refrigeration-servicing sector for the HPMP preparation, i.e the refrigeration servicing sector structure, as well as the installed HCFC based equipment by type and year; therefore the aggregated HCFC consumption in the servicing sector could be worked out.
- The survey approach in the refrigeration-servicing sector, i.e. combination of the questionnaire for the servicing workshop, end-users, importer/manufacturers, and sample survey in the selected areas. The main point is that the survey approach should be justifiable, convincible, and reliable.
- Illegal trade from the tribe area, A7 data discrepancy as indicated by the Ozone Secretariat.
- Licensing system for the HCFC import control as part of the HPMP preparation activities. The NOU indicated that HCFC import has been monitored in the past few years, and it is planned to put it under the licensing system from the 1 January 2010.
- Installation, servicing practices in Pakistan especially for the room air conditioner;
- Technical options for the reduce of HCFC consumption in the refrigeration servicing sectors, and how to consider climate benefit;
- Possible non-investment activities under HPMP. It is recognized that at this stage, no any specific activities could be proposed, but as a first step, the traditional activities under RMP need to be analyzed to justify whether such activities should be continued.
- The survey questionnaires: A set of sample questionnaires was provided to the consultant for reference when finalizing the same for Pakistan.

The scientists were recognized for their landmark paper: "The Importance of the Montreal Protocol in Protecting Climate," which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(12):4814-4819 (2007). This paper also earned the 2007 United Nations Environment Programme Award for the "Best New Paper on a Montreal Protocol Related Topic: Science Category."

In the paper, the research team synthesized stratospheric ozone and climate science to show that past actions under the Montreal Protocol had dramatically protected climate by leading to reduced atmospheric amounts of ozone-depleting substances, compounds which are also greenhouse gases that warm climate. In addition, the team outlined what actions could further protect climate. These findings inspired the Parties to the Protocol in 2007 to accelerate the phaseout of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), in 2008 to encourage collection and destruction of unwanted ozone-depleting substances, and in 2009 to consider a phase-down of the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that are greenhouse gas alternatives to ozone-depleting substances.

Dr. Andersen is co-chair of the Montreal Protocol Technology and Economic Assessment Panel and Drs. Velders, Daniel, Fahey and McFarland are members of the Montreal Protocol Scientific Assessment Panel.

"The science policy presented in the Velders paper energized diplomats and citizens to take action on climate outside of the Kyoto Protocol," said Dr. Mario Molina, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. "Parties to the Montreal Protocol have taken another step in sustaining the Earth."

"The Montreal Protocol community is proud that policy to protect the stratospheric ozone layer is based on the best available scientific knowledge," said Marco Gonzalez, Head of the Ozone Secretariat. "People of the Earth owe these dedicated scientists a debt of gratitude for helping to make the environment safe for future generations."

Workshop on Preparation of Ozone Regulations, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar- February 09
From 4-5 February 2009, about 40 participants from Ministry of Forestry, Office of the Attorney General, Ministry of Commerce and other related ministries in Myanmar attended the Workshop on Preparation of Ozone Regulations in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Mr. U Sann Lwin (NCEA), Dr. Husamuddin (SEPA-Sweden) and Mr. Rajendra Shende (UNEP DTIE OzonAction) made the opening statements. Presentations were made by UNEP on the Montreal Protocol and Policy Options. NCEA presented Myanmar implementation of the Montreal Protocol and draft licensing system. Following the workshop, UNEP reviewed the draft regulation with the Myanmar consultant in view of the comments made during the workshop.
An action plan was formulated by NCEA with input from the workshop, UNEP and UNIDO.
The action plan includes the following activities:
a. Ratification of remaining amendments of the Montreal Protocol
b. Establish ODS regulation
c. Expedite the Implementation of Institutional Strengthening project (Phase I)
d. Customs Train-the-Trainers
e. Organization of Sub-regional Ozone Day
f. Request for preparation of HPMP
g. Participation in informal Prior Informed Consent

Contact:
Atul Bagai, Regional Coordinator (Networking), South Asia Network
Compliance Assistance Programme - OzonAction - UNEP ROAP
bagai@un.org

First Ozone and Pollution Monitoring Ground Station for West Asia - Qatar to Also Partner with UN Environment on Research Centre for Ozone and Climate-Friendly Technologies
An advanced cutting-edge monitoring station, able to gather crucial data on pollution linked with damage to the Earth's ozone layer is to be established in the Gulf state of Qatar it was announced today. Also announced were plans to establish a global centre of excellence for research and development of ozone and climate friendly technology, equipment and appliances.
Read more...
19 November 2008 | UNEP

US EPA 2008 Stratospheric Ozone Protection Awards.
Note from OzonAction Editors: The story that follows is the official press release from the U.S. EPA announcing 2008 winners of the Stratospheric Ozone and Climate Protection Awards. You may be amazed to see how the awards recognize the importance of the Montreal Protocol in protecting climate and how many members of our ozone community earned climate protection awards. Marco Gonzalez earned the Climate Protection Award for helping make the Montreal Protocol a Climate Protection Treaty. For accelerating the HCFC phaseout with obligations for climate protection, Durwood Zaelke and Scott Stone earned both Ozone and Climate Awards; Romina Picolotti earned a Climate Protection Award; and Husamuddin Ahmadzai, Maas Goote, Ana Maria Kleymeyer, and Sateeaved Seebaluck, Wurui Wen, and Mengheng Zhang earned Stratospheric Protection Awards. Dr. David Fahey earned one Ozone Award as an individual and another as a member of the science team that also included winners Drs. Stephen O. Andersen, John S. Daniel, Mack McFarland, and Guus J.M. Velders. IPCC's Chairman Dr. Rajendra Pachauri earned a Climate Award for Lifetime Achievement in Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection.

OzonAction is particularly proud of UNEP winners James Curlin, and Marco Gonzalez; National Ozone Officers Dr. Arumugam Duraisamy, Mazen Hussein, and Dr. W.L. Sumathipala and the National Ozone Units from Bahrain, Fiji, and Kuwait.

= = = = = ==

Washington, D.C. - May 19, 2008 - EPA today honored 39 individuals, organizations and companies from around the world for their outstanding efforts to protect the Earth's climate and stratospheric ozone layer. The award recipients have demonstrated ingenuity and leadership by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, negotiating international agreements to protect the ozone layer and climate, and spreading awareness about the importance of these issues.

"Efforts to help restore the ozone layer and fight climate change will benefit the planet for generations to come," said Bob Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air & Radiation. "We commend the 2008 Climate and Ozone Layer Protection Award winners for their work to protect our environment."

The 2008 Climate Protection Award winners have contributed greatly to scientific understanding of climate change and its impacts on human health and the environment. They have also generated on-site wind and solar power, increased energy efficiency, introduced new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from mining, and slashed the use of potent greenhouse gases.

The 2008 Stratospheric Ozone Layer Protection Award winners have strengthened the international Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Protocol now calls for a faster phase-out of ozone depleting substances called HCFCs, which are also potent greenhouse gases. The winners are also responsible for the eliminating ozone-depleting substances in medical, agricultural, aviation, and shipping applications where alternatives are difficult to implement.

Statement by Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UN Environment Programme Executive Director, on the Publication of the Scientific Paper The Importance of the Montreal Protocol in Protecting Climate
5 March 2007 | UNEP
The Importance of the Montreal Protocol in Protecting Climate Change
5 March 2007- I welcome today's publication of research underlining the important contribution to combating climate change made by the parallel push to reduce chemicals that damage the ozone layerthe Earths protective shield.
The climate dimension of the Montreal Protocol is a story that is not widely known,
but one that deserves more consideration by the communities involved in ozone
and climate protection.
I believe the study, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
underscores the simple fact that well-devised action to address one area of
environmental concern can have multiple environmental benefits across numerous
others.
It also highlights that calculating the costs of environmental action, based on narrow
economic criteria, often fails to capture the wider economic opportunities and
benefits that are likely to emerge.
The scientists from the Netherlands and the United States have for the first time in
detail calculated the contribution to climate protection from the phasing out and
reduction of chemicals like chloroflurocarbons (CFCs).
The chemicals, once commonplace in products like hair sprays and fridges, deplete
the thin layer of ozone gas that filters out damaging levels of ultra violet light.
CFCs, along with a wide range of other ozone depleting substances, are being
successfully phased out, reduced and controlled under the 1987 Montreal Protocol
established under the auspices of UNEP. A Multilateral Fund has been created to
help developing countries meet their compliance commitments with this treaty.
The researchers point out that repair of the ozone layer is not the only benefit
emerging from the Montreal treaty.
They calculate that, over the period 1990 to 2010, the level of reductions will also
equate in climate terms to the equivalent of eight Gigatonnes of carbon dioxide a
year.
In comparison the Kyoto Protocolthe climate emissions reductions treaty and widely
understood as a first step towards even bigger emission reductions necessaryis
scheduled to deliver cuts in greenhouse gases equivalent to two Gigatonnes
annually over the same period.

Guus Velders of MNP, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, and
colleagues believe the ozone layer protection treaty can contribute even more to
combating climate change.
Some of the chemicals, introduced as alternatives to CFCs, contribute to climate
change themselves, while others contribute through chemical byproducts during the
the production process. Such chemicals include HCFCs and HFCs.
The researchers suggest that a combination of accelerated phase-out, the
introduction of further alternatives with low greenhouse gas characteristics and
relatively small changes in industrial practises, could deliver further climate benefits
equivalent to somewhere over one Gigatones of carbon dioxide.
When this climate dimension is taken into consideration, the Montreal Protocol -
which is already considered to be a highly-effective treaty that is achieving its
objective is even more cost-effective because of this collateral climate benefit. This
is a particularly important message coming as it does during 2007, a year that
marks both the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Montreal Protocol and the
10th Anniversary of the signing of the Kyoto Protocol.
I believe these kinds of findings should spur governments, business, civil society
and individuals to look at the wider impacts of their decisions including the costs
and the benefits.
Take health hazardous heavy metals like mercury for example. Research indicates
that the biggest single contributor to new sources of mercury in the global
environment and the food chain comes from the increased burning of coal.
There is also some evidence that rising temperatures in freshwaters like lakes is
causing old mercury, locked away in sediments, to be mobilized and released back
into the environment.
Thus reducing emissions from coal-fired power stations can not only contribute to
combating climate change but also contribute directly and indirectly to reducing the
serious threats from mercury pollution.
I know and am sure that there are many, many more example of these virtuous
circles positive cost benefit case studiesthat have been brought into sharp focus by
this new research on the climate benefits of combating damage to the ozone layer.
Notes to Editors:
Web address of the paper The importance of the Montreal Protocol in protecting the
climate, Guus J.M.Velders, Stephen O. Andersen, John S Daniel, David W. Fahey,
Mack McFarland. http://www.eurekalert.org/bysubject/earthscience.php
MEDIA CONTACT : Anneke Oosterhuis, Press Office (Netherlands Environmental
Assessment Agency), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; tel +31 30 274 3303,
email: anneke.oosterhuis@mnp.nl
Web address of Montreal Protocol http:www.ozoneinfo@unep.org
For More Information Please Contact Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson, on
Tel: +41 79 596 5737 or E-mail: nick.nuttall@unep.org

The first Regional Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 28 February 2007- The first regional celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol took place in the capital of Turkmenistan on 26 February.The year 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Montreal Protocol, which is widely recognized as the most successful international environmental agreement to date. Year-long celebrations are being planned by diverse organizations and countries to commemorate this environmental milestone. UNEP DTIE's OzonAction Branch is working in collaboration with the National Ozone Units and other partners to promote public awareness and media activities, particularly through the Regional Networks of Ozone Officers organized by the Branch's Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP).

Under OzonAction's initiative, every Regional Network meeting in 2007 will begin with a special public function to highlight the progress of the Protocol as well as remaining challenges.

The first day of the meeting was dedicated to the ceremony in Ashgabat, the first in this series of 20th Anniversary Network functions, took place just prior to the start of the meeting of the Regional Network for Europe and Central Asia. The event consisted of a children's orchestra, a huge balloon arrangement depicting ozone molecule, participation by the Minister of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan, the UN Resident Representative in Turkmenistan, and representatives of UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO, the Ozone Secretariat and Multilateral Fund Secretariat, ministries of Turkmenistan, National Ozone Units of eleven countries, and the Governments of Hungary and Czech Republic. The event was followed by discussions on the future of the Montreal Protocol, awareness raising activities planned in 2007 and a display of publications and videos.

Considering that Turkmenistan has recently returned to compliance, the enthusiasm of local participants was very evident. The region has demonstrated its commitment by phasing out of 82 % of the total consumption and 92% of the total production of its ozone depleting substances. H.E. the Minister of Nature Protection Mr. Makhtumkuli Akmuradov, who also chairs the Interstate Commission of Sustainable Development of Central Asian Countries, took a keen interest in the discussion regarding the challenges ahead for the Montreal Protocol community. H.E. Mr. Akmuradov committed that his country would ratify further Montreal Protocol amendments.

The national television, newspapers, and radio stations were extremely active in spreading the news about both the 20th anniversary and the Network meeting. One national newspaper carried a full-page special supplement. A series of television interviews were telecast throughout the meeting. The President of Turkmenistan personally enquired with the Minister about the meeting and the celebrations.

In separate meeting with the UN Resident Representative and the Minister of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan, UNEP, UNDP and UNIDO discussed number of pilot ideas to deliver the assistance to Turkmenistan as 'One UN'.

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Vladimir Verveda
Coordinator of National Ozone Unit
Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan,
15 Bitarap Turkmenistan Str. 2-nd build. Room 96 744000 Ashgabat
Turkmenistan
Tel: (993 12) 35 70 91
Fax: (993 12) 35 74 93
Email: vverveda@online.tm

Project Sky Hole Patching Goes into Operation,
Tackling Illegal Trade in Ozone-depleting Substances and Dangerous WasteBangkok/Beijing,1 September 2006- A project to curb illegal trade in ozone depleting substances (ODS) and dangerous waste in the Asia Pacific region went into operation today. “Project Sky Hole Patching” is designed to monitor the movement of suspicious shipments of ozone depleting chemicals and dangerous commodities across several customs territories in the region. It involves customs administrations and environment authorities, the World Customs Organisation’s Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific (RILO A/P), United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (UNEP ROAP), the Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) of UNEP’s Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, Basel Convention Regional Centers and other key international organizations.

Moreover, it is estimated that some 300–500 million tons of hazardous waste are produced annually. As regulations governing the safe and proper disposal of hazardous waste tighten, increasing handling charges and decreasing safe disposal capacity, much of the waste is suspected to be dumped illegally.

During the 11th World Customs Organization Asia Pacific Regional Conference of Heads of Customs Administrations held in Beijing on 3-6 April 2006, the meeting unanimously agreed to initiate "Project Sky-Hole-Patching". A proposed plan of action of the project was adopted during the 4th Joint Southeast Asia and Pacific/South Asia Customs-ODS Officers Cooperation Workshop held in Bangkok on May 17-20 2006.

The operation will be conducted in two phases with the first six-month phase focussing on ODS. The second phase will include hazardous waste. RILO A/P and UNEP ROAP CAP will facilitate the operation for the region in consultation with involved regional and international institutions dealing with ODS and dangerous waste.

Ms. Satwant Kaur, UNEP Regional Information Officer, Tel: + (66 2) 288 2127; E-mail: kaur@un.org

Mr. Atul Bagai, Regional Network Coordinator, South Asia, UNEP CAP, ROAP, Tel: 662 288 1662, Email: bagai@un.org

Pour Préserver la Couche d'Ozone :
Un atelier national sur les bonnes pratiques en matière de réfrigération à Antananarivo

Sous les hospices du Ministère de l'Environnement, des Eaux et Forêts (MINENVEF) de la république de Madagascar et du Programme des Nations Unies pour l'Environnement (PNUE), un atelier national pour la formation des techniciens frigoristes sur les bonnes pratiques en réfrigération s'est tenu à Antananarivo, Madagascar, du 30 Mars au 01 Avril 2006.

Les travaux de cet atelier ont été lancés officiellement par Madame RAKOTOARISOA Jacqueline, Directeur Général de l'Environnement, en présence du représentant du Programme des Nations Unies pour l'Environnement et d'autres personnalités du secteur public et privé telles que Monsieur NGOLO Gilbert, le Directeur Général de l'Institut National de promotion formation d'Antananarivo et Monsieur ANDRIAMANA TISOA de la Société malgache d'équipement frigorifique représentant les importateurs de Madagascar.

Un effectif de 25 personnes, venant des grandes villes de Madagascar, a pris part à l'atelier de formation. Tous les participants avaient une expérience professionnelle dans le domaine du froid.

Cette formation a élargie les capacités des frigoristes à utiliser rationnellement et à mieux gérer les SAO, ainsi que les installations et les équipements qui les contiennent. Leur compétence a été renforcée, ce qui constitue un élément majeur dans la stratégie d'élimination de ces gaz dans l'île de Madagascar.

La formation a été clôturée officiellement par le Docteur Joelisoa RASIRARSON, Secrétaire Général du Ministère de l'Environnement, des Eaux et Forêts.

UNEP DTIE OzonAction helped organize the delivery of the ozone-friendly and pesticide-free roses from Kenya to Dubai. The roses were distributed to ministers, high-level officials and others attending the UNEP event in Dubai. One of OzonAction’s objectives was to draw attention of the global community that sustainable agriculture is possible and now a reality.

UNEP DTIE OzonAction promotes environment-friendly products and practices, particularly the phase-out of ozone depleting substances and related toxic chemicals.

The Government of Mauritania also took adventage of the presence of UNEP to organise a half day training for customs officers on the identification of ODS and ODS containers.

The Mauritania Refrigerants Management Plan (RMP) was approved at the 41st Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

The Government of Afghanistan continues to provide high-level political commitment to compliance with the Montreal Protocol. This was evident in the participation of Mr. Bismillah Kamavi, Director General, General Directorate of Customs of Afghanistan, who opened the workshop and highlighted the role played by customs officers in environmental security.

The workshop provided the participating front-line enforcement officers with the skills necessary to monitor and control the imports of ODS products and ODS-using equipment, as well as issues on regional cooperation and Green Customs Initiative.

Mr. Dost Mohammed Amin, Deputy Minister of NEPA, Afghanistan exchanged his views with delegates from UNEP, NACEN and Pakistan. Mr.Asad Sakhi Farhad, Deputy Minister of Finance of Afghanistan distributed the certificates upon completion of the workshop to the participants in the closing ceremony and expressed his appreciation to UNEP for organizing this workshop in Afghanistan.

The participants recommended that the draft licence system and related regulation will be promulgated as soon as possible, and ODS identifiers would be equipped in main customs check points shortly. They highly appreciated this workshop and expressed the desire for more workshops or seminars in the near future to assist their capacity building and enforcement activities.

Following up to commitments made during the Teheran Dialogue, Iran provided a refrigerant identifier to Afghanistan as part
of their assistance to a new Party, and
Pakistan shared its experience in licence systems in this workshop. Regional cooperation was emphasised in the workshop and will be pursued further during a trilateral meeting between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran being coordinated by UNEP in the coming two months.

See also the Press Release issued by UNEP.

Representatives from 13 member countries of the network and the United States of America, Japan, Australia, Germany and other Implementing Agencies of the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol are taking part in the meeting organized by Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology with support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for Asia & Pacific/OzonAction Programme.

On the occasion, Their Royal Highnesses granted collective audience to representatives of various international non-government organizations and foreign guests.

Speaking at the inaugural function, Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers Bista said Nepal is concerned about the production, maximum use and transfer of ozone layer depleting substances.

Mrs. Monique Barbut, Director of UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics said as per the commitments made at the global level the role played by Nepal in stopping the use of harmful chemicals is laudable.