United Arab Emirates Urges Unity to Find Fix for Ozone Layer

The UAE has called on all nations to work together to find and implement solutions to phase out substances that harm the ozone layer.

The country also reiterated its commitment to phasing out, by 2040, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) or chemicals that linger in the atmosphere for decades and damage the environment.

This message went out as the UAE hosted about 200 countries that have ratified the Montreal Protocol. Top ministers and United Nations representatives participated in a five-day meeting that ended on Wednesday.

“The time has come to work on accelerating the transition to search for innovative, sustainable, scalable solutions,” said Rashid bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, adding that delay in reaching an agreement on hydrofluorocarbons management would “undermine our efforts to mitigate climate change”.

Recommendations reached by the international delegates will be presented at a top-level meeting in Paris in two weeks where a decision will be taken on the path to reducing use of substances that thin the ozone layer, including refrigerants such as HCFCs and chlorofluorocarbons, the latter which have already been banned in the UAE.

UAE Interact, 5 November 2015