Sunday, September 16 is the International Day for the preservation of the ozone layer, and this year’s theme is ‘Keep Cool and Carry On: The Montreal Protocol.’

As one of the world ambassadors of climate change Seychelles has over the years put in place various strategies to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

SNA looks at some of the initiatives undertaken by the island nation to preserve both the ozone layer and the climate.

1. After Seychelles signed the Montreal Protocol in 1993 on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion. The island nation set to work by putting in place the necessary mechanism to monitor, control and phase-out the use of ozone-depleting substances (ODS). 

This included revisions in the Environment Protection Act 1994 and the coming into existence of the Environment Protection (Ozone) Regulations 2000. The new regulation seeks to control the import of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) arriving in the country.

2. Seychelles was among the few African countries which have achieved a complete phase-out of zero consumption of CFCs in 2007 and was in compliance with the Montreal Protocol before the 2010 deadline. In 2010 the Environment Protection (Ozone) Regulation was amended putting the island nation on its way to phase out the usage of HCFCs used mainly in air conditioners in the country.

3. In 2017, Seychelles joined the second phase of the Green Cooling Africa Initiative which is focusing on ozone-layer-friendly technological appliances. Through the initiative, Seychelles will be able to replace appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioning units containing hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) with those using natural gases. 

Forrás: www.seychellesnewsagency.com