"Ozone2Climate"
campaign - Delegates reiterate commitment
to ozone layer protection
Victoria, Seychelles, 23 June 2011 - - Delegates
from several English speaking African countries
are meeting in Victoria, Seychelles this
week for the 17th ozone depleting substances
officers' (ODS) network conference.
The four-day meeting
which was officially opened on 20 June 2011
by the principal secretary Ministry of environment
Didier Dogley, is discussing among other
issues, the planning for the final phase
of the Montreal Protocol, opportunities
for enhancing the South-South cooperation
and technology options for avoiding the
use of Hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
which have high global warming potential
as well as replacing or enhancing the energy
efficiency for air conditioning systems.
African countries are
embarking on the ambitious plan to phase
out HCFCs. Through a campaign called "Ozone2Climate"
it is expected that Africa will get maximum
climate benefit from HCFC phase out. African
countries have resolved to continue their
commitment towards the Ozone Layer Protection.
Having phased out nearly 25,000 tones of
CFCs and other important Ozone Depleting
Chemicals ahead of the time stipulated in
the Montreal Protocol, and having erased
the annual carbon footprints of more than
60 million tones equivalent of carbon dioxide,
the continent is now beginning a new journey.
The resounding message
at this meeting is that while UNEP OzonAction
with other Implementing Agencies play the
catalytic role, the real hard work and dedication
has been from the National Ozone Units of
the African countries.
Rajendra Shende, Head
of UNEP's OzonAction Programme said: "Collective
action by African countries to address the
ozone layer depletion when they have contributed
the least in causing that problem is iconic"
The meeting brings together
representatives from 24 African countries
alongside the Seychelles Minister for Health
Dr Erna Athanasius, the Head of United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction-
Rajendra Shende, the representative from
the Ozone Secretariat Gilbert Bankobeza
and senior regional coordinator of the Ozone
Compliance Assistance Programme in Africa
Jeremy Bazye.
. "While we recognize
the exemplary achievement of the Montreal
Protocol, we remain deeply concerned by
the absence of the same sense of urgency
to address the climate change" said
Mr. Willis Agricole, Director General and
climate negotiator of Seychelles.
Mr. Willis recently
attended a Climate meeting of UNFCCC in
Bonn where representatives of France, Germany,
Ozone Secretariat and United Nations Industrial
and Development Organization-UNIDO, noted
that nearly US $ 175 million provided by
the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol
to the African countries for about 1200
projects represented less than 10% of the
funds received by all the developing countries.
Note to editors:
This meeting is a key
tool to reviewing progress of the Montreal
Protocol being carried out at the regional,
sub-regional and national level.
The OzonAction Programme
is engaged in providing the technology support
and capacity building to 146 developing
countries in the world.
Seychelles, along with
many other English-speaking African parties
to the Montreal Protocol community, has
accomplished major milestones in fulfilling
their obligations under the protocol.
2011 marks the 20th
Anniversary of the UNEP OzonAction Programme.
The programme has enabled the African countries
to meet their compliance.
