Opening Remarks
Ms. Pratibha Mehta, UNDP Resident Representative in Tajikistan

“Protecting the Ozone Layer and the Global Climate System in the Context of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol”

27 September 2021, National Library, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Your Excellency Mr. Bahodur Sheralizoda,  

Chairman of the Committee of Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan

Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have an honor to welcome you all at the national conference devoted to Ozone Layer Protection. We are here today to spread awareness about the depletion of the Ozone Layer and search for possible solutions to preserve it.

Life on Earth would not be possible without sunlight. But the energy emanating from the sun would be too much for life on Earth to thrive were it not for the ozone layer. The ozone layer shields Earth from most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. Some 30+ years ago NASA found out ozone holes across the whole of Antarctica and since then, the temperature had begun to rise.

The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and its Montreal Protocol (1985) became the first treaties in the history of the United Nations to achieve universal ratification, making it one of the most successful environmental agreements to date. A united global effort to phase out ozone-depleting substances means that today, the hole in the ozone layer is healing, in turn protecting human health, economies and ecosystems, by slowing climate change.

In Tajikistan, UNDP works hand in hand with the Committee for Environmental Protection, on phasing out the use of ozone depleting substances, namely HCFCs (hydrochluoroflurocarbons), to support the implementation of Montreal Protocol. Since 2013, UNDP, within the framework of GEF-financed projects, successfully provided technical assistance to help the country address HCFC-related challenges, including legislative and regulatory frameworks on licensing and import of cooling and refrigeration equipment, institutional capacity development, certification of refrigeration technicians, and provision of analytical and servicing equipment, as well as demonstration pilots on application of new technologies in social buildings, agriculture and trade infrastructure (fruit and vegetable storage warehouses, supermarkets, etc.) throughout Tajikistan. Now that the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol kicked in, to gradually reduce the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the gas that has high impact on global warming, UNDP stands ready to support the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan in ratification of this internationally binding environmental framework.

These are quite ambitious interventions that we aim for, to help Tajikistan implement its obligations under Montreal Protocol, and help us advancing not only SDG 13 on Climate Change, but also SDG 3 on Good Health and Well Being, SDG 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production.

All these efforts require cooperation, regionally as well as globally. I’m very pleased to welcome Mr. Mars Amanaliev, head of Refrigeration Association of Kyrgyzstan, Mr. Maksim Surkov, UNDP’s Regional Technical Advisor on Chemicals, as well as Mr. Halvart Koeppen from UNEP, who have joined us today to share their knowledge and experience.

In closing, I would like to thank the leadership of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan for fruitful collaboration, and call for the spirit of common cause and, especially, bolder commitments as we strive to mitigate the impacts of climate change and mobilize the ambitious climate action we so urgently need at this time. I sincerely wish all of us a fruitful discussion and productive work and invite each of you to actively participate in today’s discussion.