The National Ozone Unit continued its involvement in ozone awareness and education through its attendance of a session at the El Dorado Secondary School. Students showcased their novel ideas on fun ways to impart knowledge and competency in refrigeration and air conditioning.
As January 1 2024 approaches the National Ozone Unit held a virtual sensitization session explaining the HFC Quota and Licensing system to importers and other relevant stakeholders.
The National Ozone Unit continued its training efforts for the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning sector in Tobago with sessions on good refrigeration practices and alternative refrigerant. Theory as well as practical knowledge was shared.
The National Ozone Unit continued its efforts to ensure sound border protection in compliance with the Montreal through training of customs brokers involved I import of refrigerant.
The National Ozone Unit continued to execute its mandate of keeping all stakeholders apprised of national obligations and requirements under the Montreal Protocol. The latest effort is sensitization of custom brokers who are a key stakeholders for border regulation of controlled substances.
The Thematic Network Meeting of National Ozone Officers of the English-Speaking Caribbean and Haiti back-to-back with the Workshop for Women in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) was held from 13-15 November 2023 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The National Ozone Unit of Trinidad and Tobago participated in the Meeting which was highly interactive and participatory.
The Meeting addressed many issues including the upcoming implementation of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol which is due to begin on January1, 2024; data reporting under the Montreal Protocol; updates from the Meeting of the Parties, status of implementation of countries and any compliance issues faced by the Caribbean Region.
The Workshop for Women in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) brough together female technicians from around the Caribbean Region who shared experiences and developed a way forward for improving the participation of women in this sector.
In the collegial spirit that the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is known for, delegates at the thirty-fifth Meeting of the Parties (MOP 35) committed firmly to address threats to both the ozone layer and the global climate, designating a significant portion of funding to bring down global temperatures. In an historic decision, parties adopted the largest ever replenishment of the Multilateral Fund (MLF) for the implementation of the Protocol. The replenishment, just shy of USD 1 billion, will assist developing countries in implementing their obligations under the Protocol and its Kigali Amendment, with a strong focus on shifting away from harmful greenhouses gases and substances with high global warming potential (GWP).
Delegates worked intensely throughout the week on a very heavy agenda. While they made progress on almost every item before them, despite best efforts, they were unable to agree on a decision to address quarantine and pre-shipment (QPS) uses of methyl bromide for which alternatives exist. They also agreed to defer discussion on a potential roadmap to end illegal trade in controlled substances to the next meeting of the Montreal Protocol’s Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG).
Since 2023 is a replenishment year, delegates engaged in focused discussions on the MLF replenishment in closed-door negotiations throughout the week. In the final hours of the meeting, the delicate compromise reached by the contact group on the replenishment was shaken slightly when some delegations questioned the binding nature of contributions to the MLF. But, in a spirit of compromise, parties were able to take the historic decision to support developing countries in their efforts to transition away from hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
Parties also adopted a host of decisions on substantive matters, including:
They also took decisions on the composition of the Protocol’s Assessment Panels, as well as electing new members to the governing bodies by acclamation, avoiding a vote.
MOP 35 convened from 23-27 October 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, with parties convening at the seat of the Secretariat for the first time in 20 years. Over 600 participants attended the meeting, which was preceded by a workshop on energy efficiency on 22 October 2023.
Trinidad and Tobago was represented at this Meeting by Mr. Jonathan Bolai, Ozone Specialist at the Ministry of Planning and Development. Mr. Bolai also presented at a side event on national experiences with introducing district cooling and energy efficiency in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector.
A Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector – General Requirements Standard for Trinidad and Tobago (TTCS 663:2023) has been developed in collaboration with stakeholders and approved through the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards. As stated in the Standard, "it was developed with the overall objective of improving the general quality in the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector in Trinidad and Tobago and to support all organizations, agencies and individuals responsible for refrigeration and air-conditioning systems by providing minimum requirements for their operations.
The Standard is intended to support the national implementation of the Montreal Protocol. It will support the smooth transition from ozone depleting substances to ozone and climate friendly alternatives in refrigeration technology by allowing existing refrigeration systems to run until the end of their useful life, thereby avoiding premature replacement. It defines minimum requirements for installation, maintenance and decommission of refrigeration and air conditioning systems.
Also, the standard serves as a resource document in technicians’ training and the development of training materials. It will also assist with communication between relevant stakeholders, including service companies from the informal sector.
The standard also assists in:
-
protecting the consumer or user against danger to health or
safety;
-
ensuring public or industrial health, welfare or safety; and
- protecting the environment.
This standard is intended for use by a
wide range of stakeholders including:
-
manufacturers
- in the production process;
-
importers
and distributors - in the procurement
process;
-
regulatory
agencies - in developing an appropriate regulatory framework for the air
conditioning and refrigeration sector;
-
public
or private sector agencies - in specifying refrigeration and air conditioning
systems equipment and services as part of their procurement process;
-
training
institutions – to assist in providing technical training for the air
conditioning and refrigeration sector;
-
air
conditioning and refrigeration technicians and industry associations – to
improve the delivery of technical services; and
-
consumers
- in verifying that refrigeration and air conditioning systems equipment meets
minimum safety and performance requirements thus ensuring value for money."
TTS 663:2023- REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING SECTOR – GENERAL REQUIREMENTS | TTBS (gottbs.com)
The National Ozone Unit joined the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Association (ARIA) at an awareness session on Ozone Layer Protection and careers in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry. Students were provided with a talk as well as brochures and other practical demonstrations.
The National Ozone Unit continued its efforts to ensure sound border protection in compliance with the Montreal through training of customs officers at the Customs Training School.
The National Ozone Unit was pleased to be invited to share information on ozone layer protection and take part in an interactive and innovative games sessions developed by El Dorado Secondary School students on refrigerant and the Montreal Protocol. Kudos to the developers of the games as well as the instructors.
Communication and sensitization through art. This was the medium used to share information on the Montreal Protocol and ozone layer awareness for World Ozone Day through a Mural at schools. The first was at Dinsley Government School in Trincity Trinidad. A talk preceded
As the refrigeration and air conditioning sector continues to evolve, the NOU continued its training and sensitization session for technicians in good refrigeration practices and alternative refrigerant.
