Maldives Preparing to Phase Out Refrigerant Gas Hydrochloroflorocarbons (HCFCs)

EPA.GOV.MV: Maldives, being a party to the Montreal Protocol on Substance that Deplete the Ozone Layer is obligated to phase out Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) such as CFCs, Methyl Bromide, Halons and HCFCs. We are proud to note that Maldives has been successful in meeting our targets earlier than recommended. Import of CFCs have been banned since January 2008. Other ODS including Methyl Bromide, Bromochloromethane, Halons and Methylchloroform have also been banned. Import of equipment dependant on CFC gas and vehicles older than 5 years have also been banned since 1 January 2004. And all imports of Refrigerant gases are monitored through a licensing system coordinated by the Environment Research Centre and the Maldives Customs Service.

The next step for us in achieving the Montreal Protocol goals is to phase out the HCFCs. HCFC phase out targets approved by the Montreal Protocol is as follows:

For Article 5 Parties (including Maldives) to have completed the accelerated phase-out of production and consumption in 2030, on the basis of the following reduction steps:

1. Freeze the consumption in 2013
2. Reduction of consumption by 10 per cent in 2015;
3. Reduction of consumption by 35 per cent in 2020;
4. Reduction of consumption by 67.5 per cent by 2025;
5. While allowing for servicing an annual average of 2.5per cent during the period 2030–2040;

To achieve these targets the National Ozone Unit of Maldives has started a project funded by United Nations Environment Program, “Development of a HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP), was approved and signed at the end of 2008 and the project activities started in January 2009. This project aims to prepare a management plan to successfully phase-out HCFCs according to the above mentioned phase-out schedules. The HPMP will describe the overall strategy that will be followed to achieve the targets to meet the complete phase out of HCFCs. The strategy will be developed on the basis of a staged approach with the stage one constituting the immediate interventions that are needed to meet the freeze on HCFC in 2013 and the 10 per cent reduction in 2015.