At World Ozone Day celebration: Gov’t urges stakeholders to intensify climate action through Kigali Amendment.

Minister Hele made the call on Monday, September 16, while chairing activities to mark the celebration of the 37th edition of World Ozone Day. The event was held at the Yaounde City Council. This year's theme was: "Montreal Protocol: Advancing Climate Action".

During the ceremony, the minister, alongside the Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Environment and Nature Protection and Sustainable Development, Dr Nana Aboubakar Djalloh, officially launched the project to implement the Kigali Amendments on Hydrofluorocarbons, HFCs.

The event brought together key figures, including the Resident Representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO, Raymond Tavares, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Observatory on Climate Change, NOCC, Peter Enow Ayuk, members of the Ozone Bureau; and representatives from Cameroon’s refrigeration and air conditioning professionals’ association.

Also in attendance were students from schools that won awards in a contest organised to commemorate World Ozone Day.

In his address, Minister Hele Pierre urged all stakeholders to look to the future and intensify global efforts under the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer and safeguard populations, the climate, and the planet.

He emphasised the need to ramp up efforts against HFC-emitting refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump systems to help curb global warming.

About Kigali amendment

It is worth noting that the Kigali Amendment is a landmark international agreement signed by 197 nations under the Montreal Protocol, committing to phasing out hydrofluorocarbons HFCs by 2050. 

This amendment is crucial in addressing both ozone depletion and climate change, as HFCs are potent greenhouse gases.

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a global treaty designed to protect the Earth's ozone layer by phasing out chemicals that deplete it. 

This phase-out includes both the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances. The agreement was signed in 1987 and came into force in 1989.

Parties to the Protocol meet annually to make decisions to ensure the agreement’s successful implementation. Over time, the Protocol has been adjusted or amended six times. 

The most recent change, the Kigali Amendment in 2016, called for the reduction of HFCs, which had been used as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances previously phased out under the original Protocol. 

While HFCs do not harm the ozone layer, they are powerful greenhouse gases and significant contributors to climate change.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3235 of Friday September 20, 2024