AS a party to the Montreal Protocol, Guyana will be capping the importation of all hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) refrigerants, and importers are being asked to register with the National Ozone Action Unit if they wish to import for the year 2016, according to Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture George Jarvis Although there are currently 34 controlled HCFCs, only a few are commonly used. The most widely used have been HCFC-22 (usually a refrigerant), HCFC-141b (a solvent and foam-blowing agent), and HCFC-142b (a foam-blowing agent and component in refrigerant blends). Registration closes on December 18, 2015.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, under the Trade Act (Cap:91:01) “no ozone depleting substance listed in the first schedule shall be imported by an importer unless otherwise registered with the National Ozone Action Unit and the importer obtain a permit from it in respect of that substance in the form as per the second schedule on payment of a fee of one thousand dollars.”
The Ministry further noted that no importer shall import any equipment containing ozone depleting substances or that require ozone depleting substances for its continued operation, unless it is approved for medical purposes.
Greenhouse gases
Damaging greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) could be steadily phased out, UN climate officials have recommended.
These gases can warm the atmosphere thousands of times more than carbon dioxide and stay there for hundreds of years. To date some progress has been made under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Although many nations, including the USA, have backed the idea previously, this is the first time a deadline for action has been suggested by Guyana.
Chemical giant DuPont says the gradual phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 100 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2050.
The firm, which manufactures HFCs as well as develops replacements, says that action on HFCs taken through the Montreal Protocol could lead to a massive boost for the environment.
At the moment, HFCs account for less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. A UN coalition on short-lived climate pollutants estimates this could rise to between seven per cent and 19 per cent by 2050 if climate-friendly replacements are not found.