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Pakistan Pledges To Join Global Efforts To Protect Environment, Human Health From Harmful Gases
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published October 25, 2017 | 05:30 PM
Environmentalists, industrialists, manufacturers and academia Wednesday pledged to jointly work with the climate change ministry to completely phase out the use of ozone layer depleting substances in Pakistan under the Montreal Protocol
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Oct, 2017 ) :Environmentalists, industrialists, manufacturers and academia Wednesday pledged to jointly work with the climate change ministry to completely phase out the use of ozone layer depleting substances in Pakistan under the Montreal Protocol.
They stressed that getting rid of the 13 different ozone depleting substances (ODSs) including hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) was inevitable to protect the ozone layer or ozone shield, which protected all sorts of the life on earth and environment from adverse impacts of ultraviolet (UV) rays or radiation of the Sun.
The harmful substances strike the ozone and splits it apart. However, the ozone depletion has led to a global concern as the thinning protective coat over Earth is letting harmful ultraviolet light pass, which has led to many health hazards like skin cancer, damages to plants and plankton as well as cataracts.
Therefore many governments have banned products that produce these ODS. The ozone layer is a belt of the naturally occurring gas "ozone." It sits 9.3 to 18.6 miles (15 to 30 kilometers) above Earth, and serves as a shield from the harmful ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation emitted by the sun.
Ozone is a highly reactive molecule that contains three oxygen atoms. Speaking as a chief guest at a day-long workshop on Kigali Amendment- the Way Forward, Dechen Tsering, Asia-Pacific regional director at the United Nations Environment Programme, told the participants that the ozone-depleting substances generally contain chlorine, fluorine, bromine, carbon, and hydrogen in varying proportions and are often described by the general term halocarbons.
Besides, hydro chlorofluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform are important human-produced ozone-depleting gases that have been used in many applications including refrigeration, air conditioning, foam blowing, cleaning of electronics components and as solvents.
She appreciated the commitment of Pakistan to phasing out the ozone depleting substances under Montreal Protocol, which is considered to be the most successful global environmental agreement setting out commitments by every country in the world to eliminate production and use of the chemicals that damage the ozone layer.
Ms. Tsering reiterated, The UN Environment Programme will remain actively engaged with Pakistan in development of enabling activities for the phasing down of hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) under Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which was reached in the Rwanda capital of Kigali in October 15, 2016.
The event was organisd by the Ozone Cell of the Ministry of Climate Change in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme here in Islamabad to discuss various aspects and way-forward of the ozone depleting gases in Pakistan.
The vent was attended by various government and non-governmental organisations, academia, researchers, students and representatives of industries. Climate Change Ministry's Secretary, Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, in his remarks acknowledged the efforts of UN Environment Programme in extending all support to Pakistan along with other implementing agencies, in achieving the compliance set under Montreal Protocol for phasing out the ozone layer-damaging gases in Pakistan.
The climate change secretary underlined need to rationalize or optimise the use of the natural resources to protect humans, biodiversity and environment from devastating impacts of natural calamities including ozone depletion.
We as humans cannot continue to live a healthy life, if we don't make of lifestyle nature-compatible and live our lives in complete harmony with nature, he told the participants, the climate Change Secretary said.
He told the participants that using electric appliances, particularly air conditioning systems and refrigerators at home or offices prudently would help reduce pressure on our energy systems and local heat impacts in our urban areas.
Giving overview of the Kiagali Amendment to Montoreal Protocol, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Climate Change Ministry, Rizwan Ahmad Sheikh, said that the Kigali Amendment, sealed during the 28th Meeting of Parties to the Montreal Protocol in the Rwandan capital, sought to phase down production and consumption of hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) to avoid up to 0.5C of warming by 2100.
He said that The Kigali Amendment adds powerful greenhouse gases namely Hydroflorocarbon (HFCs) gases to the list of ozone layer depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol, which has to be also phased down under the amendment.
Sheik told participants that under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, countries were required to gradually reduce the Hydroflorocarbons gases used by 80-85 percent by year 2040, which was used in air conditioners, refrigerators and under industrial appliances.
The Kigali Amendment is expected to come into force on January 1, 2019 only nine countries have ratified it. Because, the deal to come into force at least 20 parties need to have ratified it.
Countries that have hitherto ratified the Kigali Amendment include Mali, the Federate State of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Rwanda, Palau, Norway, Chile, Tuvalu and The Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Pakistan has already signed the Amendment and is likely to ratify it soon. Talking about the HCFC's phase out in Pakistan, the joint secretary said that the country was able to reduce 10 per cent use of the HCFCs by 2015 under the Pakistan's HCFC phase-Out Management Plan (HPMP).
The country is well on track to achieve more 35 percent reduction in the HCFC use in air conditioning systems, refrigerators and other appliances produced by the industrial sector in the country is to be achieved, he added.
Pakistan is contributing its part to phase out the use of ozone depleting substances in collaboration with industrial sectors, scientist, academia and other civil society and government organisations as a part of global efforts to protect environment and human health from the devastating impacts by restoring the cracked ozone layer from where dangerous ultraviolet rays of sun reach to earth and damage the earth ecosystem and human health, the joint secretary Rizwan Ahmad Sheikh emphasized." HFCs, which are commonly used in air conditioners and refrigeration systems, belong to a category of dangerous greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and therefore efforts to reduce them must be sustained and fast-tracked.
Earlier, Sr. Regional Coordinator for Asia-Pacific at the UN Environment Programme, Mr. Atul Bagai and UN Industrial Development Organisation's consultant Mr. Iqbal P. Sheikh also spoke on the event and underlined need for Pakistan to closely work with industrial sectors to reduce use of the environmentally-harmful and ozone layer cracking gases, particularly in the industries which produce refrigerators and air conditioning systems
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