Government structures

UNEP’s OzonAction Asia-Pacific Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) team in collaboration with the Government of Vietnam organized a Network Meeting of Southeast Asia (SEA) National Ozone Officers (NOOs) in Halong City from 13-15 March 2023 to facilitate the Network countries to share experiences/good practices in various areas under the Montreal Protocol. The meeting was also a platform to facilitate regional cooperation between SEA NOOs and Customs authorities to further strengthen enforcement of licensing system through integrated approaches at the Twinning National Ozone Officers – Customs Workshop on ODS/HFC Trade Control and Reporting held from 16–17 March 2023.

Over 133 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions, roughly equal to emissions from 28.7 million passenger vehicles driven in a year, were reduced due to UNIDO projects under the framework of the Montreal Protocol in 2022.

Environment and Climate Change, Principal Secretary of Kenya Festus K Ng’eno on Thursday presented key treaties that require ratification by the country’s National Assembly.

Around the world, daily concentrations of fine particulate matter in the air exceed recommended limits most of the time, scientists say.

Parliament’s Environment Committee agrees to an ambitious reduction of fluorinated greenhouse gases emissions, to further contribute to EU’s climate neutrality goal.

Environment MEPs adopted their position to further cut down emissions of substances that damage the ozone layer, in line with the European Green Deal and international agreements.

The European Parliament’s Environment Committee has today agreed to an “ambitious” revision of the F-gas regulation (517/2014) despite industry concerns that the proposals are unrealistic and jeopardise climate targets.

National Ozone Officers (NOOs) of South Asia (SA), Southeast Asia (SEA) and Pacific Island Countries (PICs) Networks jointly discussed the 2023 Communications and Public Outreach Strategy through the two virtual consultation meetings on 18 and 26 January 2023. A total of 63 participants (39 females and 24 males) engaged in the virtual meetings.

Green Customs Initiative (GCI) partners gathered in Paris, France for their 17th Annual meeting on 24 and 25 January 2023 to discuss their work plan of activities for 2023. The meeting was hosted and coordinated by the OzonAction Branch at their UNEP office in Paris.

The Montreal Protocol, to which St Kitts and Nevis is party, addresses Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and is a landmark environmental agreement that controls the manufacture and the use of man-made chemicals that, in turn, damages the ozone layer which is a protective shield from the harmful radiation of the sun to humans and the environment.

As part of the workplan agreed under the workstream to complement the implementation of the Kigali Amendment, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC) has commissioned a study to provide a profile of current and projected hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) consumption in Montreal Protocol Article 5 countries (developing countries), and to outline opportunities for near-term control or reduction of HFC consumption.

There’s good news to report about the environment. The Earth’s ozone is set to fully recover within the next four decades. A new United Nations report indicates efforts to reduce chemicals that eat into that protective layer of Earth’s atmosphere are paying off.

The northeast African State of Eritrea has become the latest country to ratify the Kigali Amendment to phase down HFC refrigerants.

The huge amount of water injected by the cataclysmic Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption into Earth’s atmosphere last year will temporarily affect the protective ozone layer.

At the Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, held in Kigali from 10 to 15 October 2016, the Parties adopted, in accordance with the procedure laid down in paragraph 4 of article 9 of the 1985 Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, a further amendment to the Montreal Protocol as set out in Annex I to the report of the Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the Parties (Decision XXVIII/1).

As the Earth warms at a dangerous pace, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)-led Cool Coalition, with the United Arab Emirates’ incoming presidency of COP28, announced the development of a Global Cooling Pledge and a “Cool COP Menu of Actions” that will feature prominently at COP28. The Menu will be defined over the coming months in close collaboration with partners including the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL).

The ozone layer is on track to recover within four decades, with the global phaseout of ozone-depleting chemicals already benefitting efforts to mitigate climate change. This is the conclusion of a UN-backed panel of experts, presented today at the American Meteorological Society’s 103rd annual meeting. Examining novel technologies such as geoengineering for the first time, the panel warns of unintended impacts on the ozone layer.

Researchers hope that ionocaloric cooling could someday help replace refrigerants with high global warming potential and provide safe, efficient cooling and heating for homes.

From 1 January 2023, the Australian Government will no longer charge fees to dispose of halon surrendered within Australia to the National Halon Bank.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and The Republic of Indonesia have become the latest countries to ratify the Kigali Amendment to phase down HFC refrigerants.