A one-day workshop focusing on the Validation of Report on Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) Phase Down Management Plan/ Kigali Implementation Plan, opened, this morning, in presence of the Head of the National Ozone Unit of the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Dr Rajendra Kumar Foolmaun, at the Ravenala Attitude Hotel in Balaclava.
The workshop, an initiative of the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change in collaboration with the GIZ Proklima, regrouped around 60 stakeholders from public and private sector namely Mauritius Institute of Training and Development, Mauritius Revenue Authority (Customs), Université des Mascareignes, Mauritius Freeport Development Ltd, Professional Coolers Ltd, Le Ware House Ltd and Eclosia Avipro Co Ltd, amongst others.
Addressing the participants, Dr Foolmaun, indicated that the main aim is to provide a platform enabling experts to discuss and validate the Kigali Implementation Plan. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, he recalled, is an international agreement to gradually reduce the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons adding that Mauritius is party to the Montreal Protocol since 1992. "Over the past decades", he stated, "Mauritius has made substantial efforts to comply with the provisions of the Montreal Protocol".
Mauritius, he observed, has successfully phased out the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and the next step is to phase out HCFCs. According to researches, HCFC emissions are projected to rise by 30% by 2030, added Dr Foolmaun. As such, he stated, it is important to phase out HFCs progressively as they have high global warming potential and contribute to climate change.
In this endeavour, he mentioned that Mauritius ratified the Kigali Amendment in 2019 with the commitment to cut down the production and consumption of HFCs by more than 80% over the next 30 years. The full implementation of the Kigali Amendment could avoid up to 0.4 Degree Celsius of warming by 2100, he noted. "It is thus crucial to devise policies and strategies for Mauritius to reach the set target hence the need for the workshop", stated Dr Foolmaun.
