TIrana, 10 October 2017 – National Ozone Officers and climate focal points from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia FYR, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey, bilateral partners from Croatia and Romania, representatives of UN Environment and UNIDO and technology experts from Centro Studi Galileo and Daikin are participating in the
Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Thematic Meeting on HCFC Phase-out Management Plans and HFCs Phase-down Initiatives from 10-12 October 2017. The meeting is hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment of Albania and organized by UN Environment OzonAction in collaboration with UNDP Tirana. The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol supported this event.
The meeting takes place in the context of the implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer including its Kigali Amendment, which was agreed during the 28
th Meeting of the Parties in Rwanda on 15 October 2016. Whereas the Protocol is phasing out ozone depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), the amendment aims to phase-down high global warming hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), transforming the Montreal Protocol into a powerful treaty for climate protection. It is expected to significantly contribute to the objectives of the Paris Agreement e.g. limiting global warming to 2 degrees by 2100.
Mr. Pellumb Abeshi, Director General of Environmental Policies of the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and Mr. Brian Williams, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative opened the meeting and welcomed the participants. Mr. Abeshi reconfirmed Albania’s commitment to protect the environment and to implement the Montreal Protocol provisions. Mr. Williams highlighted the importance to such regional meetings not only to address technical and policy issues but also to build bridges between countries and to encourage collective and forward looking action. Mr. Halvart Koeppen, Coordinator of OzonAction’s Regional Ozone Network for Europe & Central Asia stated that the cooperation between Montreal Protocol focal points and experts on refrigeration, climate change, energy-efficiency and safety standards will become more and more crucial in the context of the Kigali Amendment, and this was one of the objectives of the meeting – to explore opportunities for joint action and synergies.
The main objective of this thematic meeting is, amongst others, to share experiences and information between the Montreal Protocol and climate change focal points of the participating countries to assist them to implement their national HCFC Phase out Management Plans and to get prepared for the HFC phase-down under the Kigali Amendment.
For further information:
Mr. Halvart Koeppen
Email:
[email protected]
