Zayed Award: Winners Announced (4th Cycle 2005-2007)
9 June 2008| Zayed International Prize for the Environment Foundation, UAE
H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai presented the world's most prestigious environment award, the Zayed International Prize for the Environment carrying a total prize money of US$ 1 million in Dubai yesterday [9 June 2008]
Among the 4th Cycle 2005-2007 winners: Prof. V. Ramanathan is among the most distinguished climatologists in the world. He identified the famous chlorofluorocarbons, stratospheric ozone and other pollutants as significant factors in the anthropogenic greenhouse effect (manmade factors leading to global warming). He also demonstrated the positive amplifying effect of water vapor absorption on global warming, the global cooling effects of clouds on climate. More recently, he made significant contributions to the discovery of the widespread Atmospheric Brown Clouds (ABC) phenomenon. He showed that soot in the clouds led to a reduction in the solar radiation at the ocean surface, heating of the atmosphere and regional climate changed in South Asia. He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, The Academy of Sciences for Developing Countries (TWAS), and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. For his outstanding contribution to the environment, he received the Rosby Award and the Volvo Prize. The Jury decided that their achievements were worth the Zayed Prize.

The Zayed International Prize for the Environment Foundation is one of the major contributions of the United Arab Emirates and probably one of the most important contributions towards achieving environmental sustainability at the regional and global levels. This Foundation has dedicated substantial financial and moral rewards for pioneering and outstanding achievements in favor of environmental integrity and sustainable development. In addition, it organizes and hosts very important local, regional and international activities and events that raise environmental awareness, encourage public participation and provide scientific mitigations and prevention mechanisms for Environmental problems.
To recognize and promote major pioneering contributions in the field of environment and sustainable development, in accordance with the development philosophy and vision of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and in support of global initiatives such as the Agenda 21, the Millennium Development Goals, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation for Sustainable Development.
The Zayed International Prize for the Environment, being open to both individuals and organizations, is presented every two years in three categories:The first prize is worth US$ 500,000, the second US$ 300,000 and the third worth US$ 200,000. Each winner of the Zayed Prize in any category receives a Zayed Prize Trophy and a Zayed Prize Diploma, in addition to the financial award.
Learn more at: http://www.zayedprize.org.ae/zayedprize/index.aspx

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.

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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.

The 10th annual Climate and Ozone Layer Protection Awards were presented today at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Since the annual Ozone Layer Protection Awards began in 1990, EPA has honored 533 recipients from 46 different countries. EPA began the Climate Protection Awards in 1998 and has so far recognized 154 recipients from 18 countries for outstanding efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

2008 Climate Protection Award Winners:
Advanced Micro Devices, Sunnydale, Calif.
Austin Energy, Austin, Texas
City of Albuquerque, N.M.
Climate Protection Team of Mr. Durwood Zaelke & Mr. Scott Stone, Washington, DC
Ms. Gay Browne, Montecito, Calif.
Mr. John Morrill, Arlington, Va.
Mr. Kenneth Davis, Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.
Ms. Laura Miller, Dallas
Ms. Laurie David, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Life Cycle Analysis Team of Dr. Stella Papasavva & William R. Hill, Warren, Mich.
Mr. Marco Gonzalez, Kenya and Costa Rica
MEGTEC Systems, De Pere, Wis.
Ms. Romina Picolotti, Buenos Aries, Argentina
Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, New Delhi, India
Xerox Corporation, Norwalk, Conn.

2008 Ozone Layer Protection Award Winners:
Dr. Husamuddin Ahmadzai, Sweden
Asada Corporation, Japan
Dr. Paul Atkins, Research Triangle Park, N.C.
Kingdom of Bahrain National Ozone Unit, Bahrain
Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme, Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Australia
Chinese Negotiating Team for the 19th Meeting of the Parties, China
Civil Aviation Halon Transition Team, Worldwide
Climate Co-Benefits of the Montreal Protocol Science Team, Netherlands & United States
Dr. Corrado Clini, Italy
Mr. James Curlin, France
Dr. Arumugam Duraisamy, India
Dr. David Fahey, Boulder, Colo.
Fiji National Ozone Unit, Fiji
Mr. Maas Goote, Netherlands
HCFC Phaseout Acceleration Team, Washington, DC
Mr. Mazen Hussein, Lebanon
Ms. Ana Maria Kleymeyer, Argentina
Dr. Michael Kurylo, Washington, DC
Kuwait National Ozone Committee, Kuwait
Dr. Kazufumi Nishi, Japan
Nordiko Quarantine Systems, Australia
Mr. Sateeaved Seebaluck, Mauritius
Dr. W.L. Sumathipala, Sri Lanka
World Customs Organization, Asia Pacific Capacity Building, Thailand

For further information and to learn what winners did to earn the EPA's Climate and Ozone Layer Protection Awards, visit: http://www.epa.gov/cppd/climateawards and http://www.epa.gov/ozone/awards
19 May 2008| US EPA

The Joint Main Meeting of the Ozone Officers Networks for English-speaking Africa and West Asia will be held in Cairo, Egypt from 26-29 May 2008. Participants will include Ozone Officers from English-speaking Africa and West Asia, implementing agencies, balateral partners and government officials from Egypt.
26 Mayl 2008| UNEP Paris

Ozzy Ozone and Zoe Feature at 2008 Volvo Adventure Finals.
Ozzy Ozone with his partner Zoe visited this year's Volvo Adventure Finals in their endeavour to incite young people to outreach ozone layer protection. Since 2001, Volvo has organised environmental project competitions for young people aged between 13 and 16-years-old. This year saw 380 project entries from 50 countries.

The first prize of US$10,000 was won by the students of the 'Green Sail' team whose campaign project was to rescue and revive an endangered and environmentally-sensitive urban park in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod. The second prize went to the 'Green Action' team from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - their project was to save the nation's endangered population of water buffalo and the third prize went to the Junior Ecoguards of Comoros for their project in saving the hawksbill turtle from extinction.

Ozzy Ozone and Zoe organised a mini-Montreal Protocol session in which they asked the young environmentalists to outreach ozone layer and sun-safe messages in their home countries namely: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Comoros, Ecuador, Egypt, FYR Macedonia, Hungary, India, Russia, South Africa, Turkey and the United States. The Russian and Turkish teams were the winners of the Ozzy Ozone game.

A new education kit 'High Sky: Ozone Layer Education for Secondary Schools' will be launched later this year; all projects in relation to this kit will automatically participate at next year's Volvo Adventure Finals.
16 Mayl 2008| UNEP Paris

Belize National Ozone Unit celebrates Earth Day. Along with the Department of the Environment held a booth with the purpose of educating and sensitizing students and the general public on issues relating to the ozone layer protection and the environment. Many public awareness materials were displayed and distributed to students from across the country. The Ozzy ozone snake and ladder game and video were the main attractions to observers.
23 April 2008| Belize NOU

Customs Training and Regional Coorperation Workshop for Combating Illegal Trade in Ozone Depleting Substances in South Asia, 29-31 March 2008, Kabul, Afghanistan
29 March 2008| UNEP ROAP-Afghanistan NOU
Read more...

Beating the Clock: Asia Pacific Make Strides in Early Phase Out of Ozone-Depleting Chemicals
19 March 2008| UNEP ROAP
Read more...

Switching to Ozone-Friendly Inhalers: Industry and Governments Join Hands to Ensure Smooth Transition for Asthma and Chronic Respiratory Disease Patients
15 March 2008| UNEP ROAP
Read more...

Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Network Meeting in Tirana, Albania, 25-28 March 2008
Read more...

19th MOP HCFC Adjustments to Enter into Force May 2008
February 2008 | UNEP Ozone Secretariat
The United Nations Secretary-General in his capacity as depositary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer has advised all Parties to the Protocol that the adjustments to the Montreal Protocol adopted at the Nineteenth Meeting of the Parties held in Montreal from 17 to 21 September 2007, will enter into force and become binding to all Parties on 14 May 2008, pursuant to article 2 (9) of the Protocol. The adjustments relate to Decision XIX/6 of the Parties on accelerated phase out of Annex C, Group I, controlled substances (hydrochlorofluorocarbons).
Read more...

Partners to the Green Customs Initiative receive prestigious 20th Anniversary Ozone Protection Award
20 September 2007| Montreal
The Green Customs Initiative was today honoured with the prestigious Ozone Protection Award in the category of 'partnerships' on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol - Scientific Symposium: “Ozone Depletion: from its discovery to
Envisat and Aura”
Athens, Greece, September 23-26, 2007
At the invitation of UNEP, WMO, EESC, IO3C, the Academy of Athens, the BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION, ACADEMY OF ATHENS and the National Observatory of Athens, a core group of speakers who have played an important role in the success of the Montreal Protocol from its very beginning, will gather together in Athens, between 23-26 September 2007, to present state of the art scientific results and discuss the success of the implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

Millennium Development Goals Report 2007
July 2007 | UN press release
Halfway to a 2015 deadline, there has been clear progress towards implementing the Millennium Development Goals. But their overall success is still far from assured, a progress report by the United Nations has found, and will depend in large part on whether developed countries make good on their aid commitments...
The Montreal Protocol and global efforts to eliminate ozone depleting substances are highlighted as contributing to the implementation of Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability.
See pages 24-25.

ASHRAE, United Nations Partner on Emission Reduction
11 June 2007 | ASHRAE-UNEP
ATLANTA – As the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Montreal Protocol approaches, two international organizations focused on
the environment have joined forces to reduce emissions and encourage energy-efficient refrigeration and air conditioning
systems and building designs....

G-8 Summit mentions Montreal Protocol and phase out of HCFCs
8 June 2007 | G8
59. We will also endeavour under the Montreal Protocol to ensure the recovery of the ozone layer by accelerating the phase-out of HCFCs in a way that supports energy efficiencyand climate change objectives. In working together toward our shared goal ofspeeding ozone recovery, we recognize that the Clean Development Mechanism impactsemissions of ozone-depleting substances. We will continue to exercise leadershipin the development of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).60. We will report on the progress achieved in the areas mentioned above at the G8Summit in 2008.

UNEP Wins Prestigious US EPA Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award for the Second Time- Award Spotlights Montreal Protocol Achievements for Sound Chemical Management in Asia Pacific
3 May 2007 | UNEP ROAP CAP

The award was presented 1 May in Washington D.C, to Atul Bagai, Regional Network Coordinator for South Asia for UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE) OzonAction Programme.

Post Meeting Summary of Decisions of the 51st Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
28 April 2007 | Multilateral Fund Secretariat
The 51st Meeting of the Executive Committee, (19 - 23 March 2007, Montreal, Canada), attended by the representatives of the 14 Executive Committee member Parties and by participants co-opted from 21 other countries. The Executive Committee approved investment projects and work programme activities with a value of almost US $50.7 million, plus US $3.9 million in support costs for implementing agencies, and took a total of 39 decisions.

The Multilateral Fund Eyes the 2010 Target
23 March 2007 | Multilateral Fund Secretariat
The Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol recently met to approve US $54.6 million for 32 developing countries to eliminate over 20,000 ODP of ozone depleting substances (ODS).

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

With 2006 Antarctic ozone hole largest on record, governments launch review of how to protect the ozone layer over the next decade
3 November 2006 | UNEP

A statement to the 24th Session of the UNEP Governing Council by Maria Nolan, Chief Officer of the Secretariat of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol,
7 February 2007

Read the statement >>>

18th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
18 October 2006 | UNEP OzonAction
Official web site of this event organised by the Ozone Cell Ministry
of Environment & Forests, 30 October - 3 November, New Delhi, India.. Meeting documents and other related information are available on the Ozone Secretariat's web site.
Daily coverage is also available on the IISD website

18th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
18 October 2006 | UNEP OzonAction
Official web site of this event organised by the Ozone Cell Ministry
of Environment & Forests, 30 October - 3 November, New Delhi, India.. Meeting documents and other related information are available on the Ozone Secretariat's web site.
Daily coverage is also available on the IISD website

2007 Stratospheric Ozone Protection Awards
The Stratospheric Protection Division of the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites nominations for the 2007 Stratospheric Ozone Protection Awards. This annual awards program
was established in 1990 to recognize exceptional leadership, personal dedication, and technical achievements in eliminating ozone-depleting substances. Winners of the 2007 Award will be eligible for the Best-of-the-Best award competition to be conducted late 2007 Learn more >>>
Nomination Form Application Deadline 10 November 2006 >>>

Executive Summary of Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion 2006
18 August 2006 | Ozone Secretariat
This new report states the evidence of a downward trend in the abundances of ODS in the stratosphere. This clearly shows that the Montreal Protocol is effective and is working.

36 developing countries receive funds to eliminate substances that harm the ozone layer
A press release providing information about the decisions taken at the most recent meeting of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund.
17 July 2006 | Multilateral Fund Secretariat