The United
Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Latin America and the
Caribbean (UNEP ROLAC) along with the Government of Jamaica hosted the Joint
Meeting of the OzonAction Networks of Mexico, Central America, South America
and the Caribbean, during
the period October 1-4 in Kingston Jamaica.
Delegations from Antigua, Bahamas, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica,
Ecuador, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay,
St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and
Venezuela were in attendance. The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was represented by
Ms. Neera Singh, Ozone Assistant, Environmental Policy and Planning Division of
the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
The Meeting focused on,
among other things, the issues relating to the 33rd Meeting of the
Open Ended Working Group and Montreal Protocol 24th Meeting of
Parties (MOP), the proposal for the amendment to the Montreal Protocol to
include Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as a controlled substance and the review of
the decisions of the 70th Meeting of the Executive Committee of the
Multilateral Fund (MLF).
The status of online reporting of
the Country Programme data to the Multilateral Fund and recommendations were
given to countries on the impact of the control measures in order to continue
the phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and meet the targets for reduction in consumption by
2015.
Discussions were
centered on the challenges faced by countries in the region in starting their
freeze on imports and implementing their legislation for the HPMPs including
HCFC and Methyl Bromide phase out in particular. Presentations highlighted the issue of Energy
Efficiency Co-benefits and non-ODS alternatives, Energy Service companies and
their roles, resource mobilization, climate benefits and lessons learnt in the
phase out of Methyl Bromide in the region.
Issues of importance
to Trinidad and Tobago included licensing and certification of technicians,
legislation, destruction technologies, illegal trade of ODS, climate
co-benefits, energy efficiency and methyl bromide alternatives.
Ms. Neera Singh, National Ozone Assistant Trinidad and Tobago at the Meeting
The Caribbean Ozone Officers Network
