United Nations Environment Programme

Montenegro Eco Fair is an event which is organized each year in the period of Earth Day. The main objective of the fair is to promote environment protection. Different institutions were involved: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ministry of Environment, NGOs, Institute for Nature Protection, Natural History Museum. This year EPA won the third place and bronze medal for excellent visual identity of the stand as well as presentations and materials that are displayed.
NOU Montenegro used Eco Fair to promote ozone layer protection and public awareness activities under IS Project. For this year’s Eco Fair NOU prepared Ozzy game and Ozzy floor game, Poster Cool It, Brochure ‘Ozone vital graphics-climate link’ and Ozzy Ozone comic book.
Here you can find more information and photos from the event.

 

Ozzy and Zoe Ozone, defenders of the planet, dropped down from their home in the stratosphere on 22-23 March to deliver important messages to children and adults about how they can protect the environment. During the 9th International Weather & Climate Forum and the World Meteorological Day, they enlisten children in their mission to combat ozone depletion, climate change and a group of 12 nasty chemicals called Persistent Organic Pollutants. Their goal is a safer, healthier and less polluted world for children and also for mums and dads too. They have got a lot of cool ideas and tips on how to do all this that can be found online at http://www.ozzyozone.org/. This event was organised by Geneva Environment Network.
 

During Regional Ozone Network Meeting for Europe and Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 27 - 30 March 2012 there will be an e-learning familiarisation session intended to demonstrate to the members of the ECA network the usefulness, cost-efficiency and applicability of e-learning training in their respective home countries. The course content has been translated into Russian to offer the attendees including Ozone Officers and RAC experts a more meaningful and comprehensible experience.

Prior to the formal meetings, the attendees will be given access to the interactive module on the EU Regulations which came into force in July 2006 to address the use of Fluorinated gases which affect the refrigeration and air conditioning industry worldwide. Candidates will undertake the e-learning course and examination in either English or Russian before the meeting in their respective home countries. Those who successfully complete the material will be awarded a Diploma.

 

ECAcool has a lots of new and interesting videos and publications in English and Russian which could be interesting and both educational so we invite you to visit ECAcool website.
 

Alexandros Kiriazis from European Commission has shared with us a manual for laboratories including a list of alternative standard methods (ISO, ASTM, CEN, EPA etc.) which cover by volume more than 90% of all laboratory analytical applications. The manual is available from the CIRCA online forum. You can find the English version here.
 

Some countries are facing challenges avoiding the use of carbon tetrachloride (CTC) for the analysis of oil/grease in water. CTOC member Claudia Paratori Cortes, provided us with the information on two alternative methods:

1. Tetrachloroethylee (perclhoroethylene, CAS 127-18-4; C2Cl4) is a good alternative to replace CTC or CFC-113. The validation of the method is available here.

.2. S-316, a dimer/trimer of chlorotrifluoroethylene. The standard method is the ASTM D7066-04, for the determination of oil and grease and nonpolar material in water and waste water, by Infrared Spectroscopy (IR). Information on the environmentally friendly S-316 extraction solvent is available from here. For the detailed description of the method click here.

 

As a first output of HPMP implementation, in November 2011 Armenia has amended Government Resolution N 327-N of 15 March 2007 concerning the list of controlled ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and related import quotas and added import quotas for HCFCs until 2020. During the period 2013 - 2014, HCFC imports are allowed up to 137.4 MT and from 2015 up-to 90% of this amount. The Amendment N 1554-N of 3 November 2011 has been translated into English and is available from the website of the National Ozone Unit of Armenia: (www.ozone.nature-ic.am).
 

Some countries continue to import methyl bromide for exempted quarantine & pre-shipment use (QPS). It is important to train local stakeholders (ministries and end users) on the the definition of QPS and the available alternatives to methyl bromide.

In response to Decisions XX/6 and XXI/10 of the Meeting of the Parties, the QPS Task Force of the Technical and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) prepared a comprehensive report on the use of methyl bromide for QPS and available alternatives (2009).

The 2010 TEAP report indicated that 31% to 47% of the global methyl bromide consumption was replaceable with currently available technologies for the four largest QPS uses: sawn timber and wood packaging material (ISPM-15), grains and similar foodstuffs, pre-plant soils use, logs.

TEAP recognises that there are some commodities that are traded between countries that would pose too much risk if methyl bromide for QPS for this trade were not allowed to occur and that in these cases methyl bromide itself is not a guarantee that pests will not be transferred. In some of these cases, not-in-kind solutions such as elimination of wood pallets may be a more effective and reliable alternative to chemical fumigation.

Our Methyl Bromide Officer Florence Asher prepared attached presentation on the definition of QPS and how to decide whether a methyl bromide use is exempted QPS use or not.

Mr. Jonathan Banks prepared another presentation on methyl bromide alternatives using controlled atmosphere and heat which is successfully used in several countries.

 

In order to prevent illegal trade and discourage small scale smuggling of ODS by private persons between China and Kyrgyzstan, as part of the activities under the ECA Enforcement Network, UNEP has supported the awareness operation which has resulted in producing posters and leaflets in Russian and Chinese which have been disseminated within Kyrgyzstan and China.

NOU Kyrgyzstan has conducted the survey among customs officers, wholesalers and Kyrgyzstan citizens to see the results of the disseminated materials. The outputs of the project will serve as one of the important steps in reducing and phasing out ODS in Kyrgyzstan.
Here you can find Kyrgyzstan’s full report and Kyrgyzstan's and China's dissemination photos.

 

We are happy to share NOU Albania’s adapted videos with Albanian subtitles as an encouragement and an idea for everybody.

The Antarctic Hole- from Discovery to Recovery
International Ozone Day Curtain Raiser
Ozone Day 2009 Video News Release
My Ozone Wish- Tata Young

 

The "Climate World" Exhibition is the remarkable exhibition event in climate industry. Many representatives from climate-business community can be found there: major manufacturers of equipment, their major distributors, companies that fit the most prestigious and challenging projects with air conditioning, ventilation and heating systems, organizations that elaborate new normative documents, associations of the industry.
For more information about the exhibition, please visit the official website: http://www.climatexpo.ru/eng/.
Press release and agenda in Russian.
Agenda in English.
 

We are happy to inform you that UNEP, in collaboration with the World Customs Organization, has created an e-learning module for Customs officers to assist in fulfilling their role in phasing out ozone depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol. The ODS e-learning modules are now available online at the WCO e-learning platform. The training course is available in English, French, Russian and Spanish. A printable completion certificate is provided to successful 'users' at the end of the course.
Please find the flayer with more information.

 

In the wider context of UNEP's Green Economy Initiative, OzonAction and the Economy & Trade Branch commissioned a report on the range of economic, social, environmental and institutional co-benefits of 25 years of Montreal Protocol implementation. The key findings will be presented during the roundtable discussion on "Montreal Protocol contribution to Green Economy" during the ministerial conference Environment for Europe in Astana, Kazakhstan, 21-23 September 2011. These lessons learnt have also been reflected in the Montreal Protocol Green Economy Quiz - try and test your knowledge and feel free to invite your friends and colleagues to do the same.

Montreal Protocol's Contribution to the Green Economy Quiz - English

Вклад Монреальского протокола в зеленую экономику - Russian

 

 

UNEP in Europe - August 2011 newletter on the latest political news in Europe and UNEP's recent work in the region is available now. Please do not miss the article on the Montreal Protocol's contribution to Green Economy on page 9. 

In partnership with private sector companies, academic research as well as national and international refrigeration & air-conditioning (RAC) associations, it is the first time that the Serbian Ministry of Environment, Mining and Spatial Planning and UNEP OzonAction organized the regional technology roundtable on ozone- and climate-friendly technologies for RAC experts and Ozone Officers from European & Central Asian countries. Read the full media briefing here.
 

The Environment Task Force of the South Eastern Cooperation Initiative (SECI) hold their second annual meeting on 30 March 2011 in Budapest. Back-to-back to the meeting, UNEP organized a Green Customs seminar on 29 March to sensitize Customs and Police Officers from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey on the enforcement of trade-related international environmental treaties such as the Montreal Protocol, Rotterdam, Basel, Stockholm Conventions and CITES. The seminar was supported by experts from German CITES Management Authority, INTERPOL, UNEP OzonAction & Green Customs, the Basel Convention Secretariat and Basel Regional Centre for Central Europe and the Hungarian Ministry of Rural Development.
The workshop provided the opportunity for the Partners to the Green Customs Initiative to present their conventions and organisations and discuss the role of customs and enforcement authorities in implementing these and addressing relevant environmental crime issues.
 

ammonia21.com will be travelling to Moscow to bring you the latest news from two major HVAC&R events taking place in the beginning of March 2011: Chillventa’s premiere in Russia and the 2011 Climate World Expo. Both events will encompass a trade fair as well as presentations on topical issues for the Russian HVAC&R industry, including on natural refrigerants.
 

The 4th IIR Conference Ammonia Refrigeration Technology will be held on April 14-16, 2011, in Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia. Ammonia refrigeration is ozone and climate friendly technology. Please visit the  Conference website for details - www.mf.edu.mk/web_ohrid2011/ohrid-2011.html