UNEP to support Caribbean region

The United Nations Environment Programme and other resource persons have pledged to give the Caribbean Ozone Officers the necessary support that they will need to see the country transition to a hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) free zone.

 

This commitment came from Marco Pinzon, the Regional Network Coordinator of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for Latin America Tuesday morning, during the official opening ceremony for the Caribbean Ozone Officers’ Network Meeting, which was held at the Radisson Aquatica Hotel. 

 

HFCs have been used recently at an increased rate, once it was discovered that they were an effective alternative to the CFCs, however, research shows that the HFCs also have the potential to be powerful greenhouse gases with a long atmospheric lifetime, eventually harming the ozone layer. Therefore, researchers are now looking to create HFC and CFC free zones, in an attempt to hinder the depleting ozone layer, due to these gases. 

 

Pinzon reminded persons present that it has been over 30 years since Governments agreed to protect the ozone layer and to phase out the depleting substances, noting that it will be a challenge to do so, because the potent and harmful chemicals are used in a variety of applications, but are mainly seen in the refrigeration and air conditioning sectors.  He revealed that in October, parties have agreed to control HFCs under the Montreal Protocol Mechanism which meant that all subsidiary bodies, including the UN Environment, need to adjust to the new challenges that were presented as a result the Kigali Amendment.

 

Pinzon revealed that the meeting held earlier this week could not have come at a better time, as he believed it was time to start addressing the problems that the Kigali Amendment brought to the table. He said that countries have begun to start collecting relevant information through surveys in order to start to develop sound strategies, stating that for the past three years this has been a good demonstration of the commitment that the Caribbean region has to the Montreal Protocol. (CLF)