Islamabad ‘concerned over climate-altering emissions’
Minister says country to continue supporting global efforts for tackling ODEs
Mushahidullah Khan. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahidullah Khan has said Pakistan “will continue to support global efforts and contribute towards protecting human health and environment by completely phasing out the use of ozone-layer-depleting substances (ODSs) and replacing them with more effective and environmentally-safer alternatives in line with the Montreal Protocol”.
“Pakistan is at the forefront in endeavours to phase out the use of ozone depleting substances,” the minister said while addressing the high-level ministerial segment of the Joint 11th Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention and 29th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol held in Montreal, Canada
Pakistan needs access to global funds to cope with climate change
According to a message, the minister said ridding the world of 13 different ozone-depleting substances (ODSs), including hydro-chloro-fluoro-carbons (HCFC) and chloro-fluoro-carbons (CFC) was critical to protecting the ozone layer, which protected all life on earth from adverse fall-outs of the ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and its spill-over effect on environment.
Environment and climate change ministers from around over 197 developing and developed countries attended the ministerial round table discussions on the theme ‘Montreal Protocol at 30: Identifying future opportunities and priorities’ on November 23-24.
One year after they reached a landmark agreement (the Kigali Amendment) to phase down climate-warming hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the 197 developed and developing country parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer met in Montreal, Canada, to enhance their efforts to protect the ozone layer and to mitigate climate change.
Among the issues the parties will consider the funding level for the replenishment of the multilateral fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol for the 2018 to 2020 triennium to support developing countries in their efforts to continue the phase-out of ozone-depleting hydro chloro fluoro carbons (HCFCs) and to initiate enabling activities for the phase-down of HFCs.
Mushahidullah said as the world marked the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol this year, there was a lot of good news to celebrate.
"It is truly heartening to note that the protocol has led to the phase-out of over 99 per cent of nearly 100 ozone-depleting chemicals and significantly contributed to climate change mitigation. As of today, the ozone layer is showing signs of healing and is set to recover by the middle of the century. And Pakistan is very much part of the efforts that have led to the phase-out."
The Montreal Protocol, considered to be the most successful global environmental agreement setting out commitments by every country in the world to eliminate production and use of chemicals which damage the ozone layer.
The protocol, he said, had contributed significantly to the mitigation of climate change by averting more than 135 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (as some ozone-depleting substances are also powerful greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere from 1990 to 2010.
“Although Pakistan does not manufacture any of the Ozone Depleting Substances, the country has a strict regulatory regime to check imports of these substances, with a system of licencing and quotas for import of HCFCs in place,” he highlighted.
Ministry, NGOs to join hands for climate action
“In addition,” he said, “the country is also in the process of introducing some additional regulations to streamline future use of the substances and equipment in industry,” Khan added.
The climate change minister also highlighted that phasing out HCFCs from major industrial concerns in Pakistan was less complex, but the difficult part lies ahead, which is phasing out HCFCs from smaller enterprises and the servicing sector.
“Because the servicing sector is more informal and unwieldy and would require more concerted efforts than the initial phase, given the fact that options on alternatives are limited and expensive. “
The minister said: “Pakistan is amongst the top 10 most climate-vulnerable countries and is threatened in many ways, inter-alia, through glacier melting, low crop productivity, scorching summer temperatures, prolonged heat spells, drought and extreme precipitation.”
However, he added, “Pakistan is more concerned about the climate-altering emissions at the global level and has been proactively part to help the world get rid of all the global warming gases but would prefer to achieve this without compromising on principles and transparency.”
Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahidullah Khan has said Pakistan “will continue to support global efforts and contribute towards protecting human health and environment by completely phasing out the use of ozone-layer-depleting substances (ODSs) and replacing them with more effective and environmentally-safer alternatives in line with the Montreal Protocol”.
“Pakistan is at the forefront in endeavours to phase out the use of ozone depleting substances,” the minister said while addressing the high-level ministerial segment of the Joint 11th Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention and 29th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol held in Montreal, Canada
Pakistan needs access to global funds to cope with climate change
According to a message, the minister said ridding the world of 13 different ozone-depleting substances (ODSs), including hydro-chloro-fluoro-carbons (HCFC) and chloro-fluoro-carbons (CFC) was critical to protecting the ozone layer, which protected all life on earth from adverse fall-outs of the ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and its spill-over effect on environment.
Environment and climate change ministers from around over 197 developing and developed countries attended the ministerial round table discussions on the theme ‘Montreal Protocol at 30: Identifying future opportunities and priorities’ on November 23-24.
One year after they reached a landmark agreement (the Kigali Amendment) to phase down climate-warming hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the 197 developed and developing country parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer met in Montreal, Canada, to enhance their efforts to protect the ozone layer and to mitigate climate change.
Among the issues the parties will consider the funding level for the replenishment of the multilateral fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol for the 2018 to 2020 triennium to support developing countries in their efforts to continue the phase-out of ozone-depleting hydro chloro fluoro carbons (HCFCs) and to initiate enabling activities for the phase-down of HFCs.
Mushahidullah said as the world marked the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol this year, there was a lot of good news to celebrate.
"It is truly heartening to note that the protocol has led to the phase-out of over 99 per cent of nearly 100 ozone-depleting chemicals and significantly contributed to climate change mitigation. As of today, the ozone layer is showing signs of healing and is set to recover by the middle of the century. And Pakistan is very much part of the efforts that have led to the phase-out."
The Montreal Protocol, considered to be the most successful global environmental agreement setting out commitments by every country in the world to eliminate production and use of chemicals which damage the ozone layer.
The protocol, he said, had contributed significantly to the mitigation of climate change by averting more than 135 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (as some ozone-depleting substances are also powerful greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere from 1990 to 2010.
“Although Pakistan does not manufacture any of the Ozone Depleting Substances, the country has a strict regulatory regime to check imports of these substances, with a system of licencing and quotas for import of HCFCs in place,” he highlighted.
Ministry, NGOs to join hands for climate action
“In addition,” he said, “the country is also in the process of introducing some additional regulations to streamline future use of the substances and equipment in industry,” Khan added.
The climate change minister also highlighted that phasing out HCFCs from major industrial concerns in Pakistan was less complex, but the difficult part lies ahead, which is phasing out HCFCs from smaller enterprises and the servicing sector.
“Because the servicing sector is more informal and unwieldy and would require more concerted efforts than the initial phase, given the fact that options on alternatives are limited and expensive. “
The minister said: “Pakistan is amongst the top 10 most climate-vulnerable countries and is threatened in many ways, inter-alia, through glacier melting, low crop productivity, scorching summer temperatures, prolonged heat spells, drought and extreme precipitation.”
However, he added, “Pakistan is more concerned about the climate-altering emissions at the global level and has been proactively part to help the world get rid of all the global warming gases but would prefer to achieve this without compromising on principles and transparency.”