Tang The Cuong, Director of the Department of Climate Change speaks at a workshop held in Hanoi on December 18. (Photo: VNS/VNA) The project’s five-year second phase was approved by the Minister of NaturalResources and Environment in June 2018, said Tang The Cuong, director of theDepartment of Climate Change under the Ministry of Natural Resources andEnvironment at a workshop held in Hanoi on December 18.
The ministry is the national focal point implementing the Montreal Protocol onsubstances that deplete the ozone layer and the agency implementing theproject.
Ozone depleting substances include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), halons, methyl bromide, carbon tetrachloride,hydrobromofluorocarbons, chlorobromomethane, and methyl chloroform.
The implementation of the project was funded by the Multilateral Fund for theImplementation of the Montreal Protocol and the World Bank was entrusted tomanage the implementation of the project.
According to Cuong, the ministry has coordinated with the World Bank to carryout the project’s second phase between 2018 and 2023 in order to comply withthe obligation to eliminate 35% of consumption of HCFCs following the MontrealProtocol.
So far, the country had cut down the consumption of 1,000 tonnes of HCFC-22 inhousehold air conditioning production, refrigeration equipment manufacturingand refrigeration equipment maintenance service.
The country supported its only air conditioner manufacturing enterprise and anumber of refrigeration equipment manufacturing enterprises to convert productiontechnology that does not use R-22 gas - a powerful greenhouse gas. It hadbanned the import of air conditioners using R-22 gas since January 7, 2022.
It has also completely eliminated consumption of HCFC-141b, contained inpre-blended polyol systems, in foam insulation production as well as supportingfoam-production businesses to convert to technology. It had banned the importof HCFC-141b contained in pre-blended polyol systems since January 7, 2023.
Additionally, the country ensured the completion of reducing 35% of HCFCconsumption in the period of 2020-24.
Vietnam's annual consumption report for the period of 2020-24 showed that theimport level of HCFCs was less than 2,600 tonnes per year so far, meetingrequirements under the Montreal Protocol.
Cuong also said that Vietnam had reduced greenhouse gas emissions by usingalternative technologies that had no ozone depletion potential and low globalwarming potential.
The country strengthened controlling import and export of HCFCs and raiseawareness about protecting the ozone layer and protecting the environment, hesaid.
In term of training and capacity building, the project trained 350 customsofficers on export and import management of controlled substances; 188 teachersof vocational education institutions and more than 3,200 technicians on leakmanagement and good practice principles in installation, maintenance and repairof refrigeration and air conditioning.
The project also provided 110 sets of teaching equipment and 300 sets of repairequipment for vocational education establishments, repair and maintenanceservice establishments of refrigeration and air conditioning across thecountry.
“The results are gained thanks to the active support of World Bank experts,close coordination of relevant ministries, sectors and agencies,” Cuong said.
He also added that the results were achieved especially thanks to the effortsand determination of businesses participating in technology transformation thathad overcome the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic and practical situationto promptly deploy activities.
Speaking at the workshop, Ahmed Eiweida, World Bank’s Vietnam Sector Leader forSustainable Development, said the project’s second phase had made a significantprogress in eliminating many substances that depleted the ozone layer.
“The project has successfully reduced HCFC consumption by 1,000 tonnes,contributing to the protection of ozone layer and climate change mitigation,”he said.
Vietnam ratified the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the OzoneLayer in 1994.
In 2001, Vietnam had completely eliminated the use of Chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs), Halon, and Carbon tetrachloride (CCL4).
In 2012, the country launched a plan to support foam manufacturing enterprisesto phase down pure HCFC-14b substance, aiming to reduce 10% of the totalconsumption of the substance in the country.
In 2018, it launched another plan to support enterprises with technologytransformation to phase down ozone-depleting substances, aiming to reduce 35%of the consumption of these substances.
In 2019, Vietnam ratified the Kigali Amendment. The Kigali Amendment to theMontreal Protocol is an international agreement to gradually reduce theconsumption and production of HFCs.
Cuong said the Montreal Protocol had proven to be an effective tool inprotecting human health, nature and climate on a global scale over the pastdecades.
The Department of Climate Change would continue coordinating with the WorldBank, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and internationalorganisations to consult the Government and the environment ministry to deploymeasures to protect the ozone layer as well as the fulfilment of the MontrealProtocol, including the Kigali Amendment in the future, he said.
He believed that lessons learned from the implementation of the project’ssecond phase along with effective coordination between stakeholders would helpto successfully implement the Montreal Protocol, contributing to healing thehole in the ozone layer, and responding to climate change.
According to the UNEP, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the OzoneLayer is the landmark multilateral environmental agreement that regulates theproduction and consumption of nearly 100 man-made chemicals referred to asozone depleting substances (ODS).
When released into the atmosphere, those chemicals damage the stratosphericozone layer, Earth’s protective shield that protects humans and the environmentfrom harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Adopted on 16September 1987, the Protocol is to date one of the rare treaties to achieveuniversal ratification./.
VNA
