Damascus, Syria, 27 October 2020 ‒ Despite the challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Syrian Arabic Republic continues to honour its commitments under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and is preparing itself for the next phase of this multilateral environmental agreement: the phase down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are widely used in refrigeration, air conditioning and foam manufacturing. These substances are controlled under the Protocol's Kigali Amendment, under developing countries commit to reduce their consumption and production of those substances by more than 80 per cent by 2045. Although Syria is not yet a Party to this amendment, it is preparing the groundwork to do so and to initiate the associated policy and technical activities to phase down HFCs.
In line with this objective, the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment (MoLAE) in cooperation with UN Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction and the Syrian Enterprises and Business Center (SEBC) organized a two-day public awareness workshop from 25-26 October 2020 in Damascus as part of the project "Enabling Activities of the Kigali Amendment." The workshop was held in person, but with appropriate precautionary measures in place due to the pandemic.
The Enabling Activities project, which is assisted by UNEP, is financed by the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol. It comprises three inter-related components to facilitate the efforts by Syria to ratify the Kigali Amendment and to provide the support required to meet the initial obligations under the Amendment. One component involves engagement and outreach to the public and industry about the HFC phase down.
The workshop in Damascus was the last of a series of four planned workshops to raise public and stakeholders’ awareness on the importance
of the Kigali Amendment and its impact in different sectors. Other workshops have been organized in Homs, Aleepo, and Lattakia.
Mr. Motaz Qattan, MoLAE’s Deputy Minister, delivered the opening statement, which focused on the importance of this workshop to the country and the great support and participation of UNEP in developing and updating related policies and legislations and capacity building of the concerned authorities.
Mr. Khaled Klaly, UNEP Regional Montreal Protocol Coordinator for West Asia, who participated in the workshop by video link due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, explained to the participants about the significance of the Kigali Amendment and its impact on different economic sectors. He explained how the Enabling Activities project will provide an opportunity for the country to develop and update its institutional and regulatory framework related to the refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) and foam sectors, and to facilitate the early ratification of the Kigali Amendment.
For more information:
Khaled Klaly
Montreal Protocol Regional Coordinator
for West Asia, UNEP OzonAction
Email khaled.klaly[at].org
