Meeting of the English Speaking Caribbean and Haiti Ozone Officers

The United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNEP ROLAC) along with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis hosted the Meeting of the English Speaking Caribbean Ozone Officers held during the period March 18-21, 2013 in Basseterre, St. Kitts.

Trinidad and Tobago was represented by Dr. Marissa Gowrie; the National Ozone Officer and Ms. Neera Singh, Ozone Assistant both from the National Ozone Unit (NOU); Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. Representatives from the UNEP OzonAction ROLAC and Paris Office, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and national stakeholders from St. Kitts and Nevis were also present.

The meeting focused on:

• Major decisions coming of the 24th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol and the Compliance Status of the Montreal Protocol in the Caribbean Network 
• Major issues addressed in the 23rd Meeting of the Open Ended Working Group of the Montreal Protocol
• Recent decisions of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund Secretariat and the implications for the Caribbean Region
• Certifications and licensing systems  for technicians (case study on a system set up by the Belize Ozone Unit)
• Graduate level course on the Management of Ozone Depleting Substances in progress to be implemented at the University of the West Indies and its benefits to the Caribbean region
• Implementation of the Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) Phase Out Management Plans (HPMPs)

This forum provided a distinct opportunity for the English Speaking Caribbean and Haitian Ozone Officers to share and learn from each others' experiences.
 

2 day Seminar on Hydrocarbon Sensitization

In keeping with T&T's commitment to phase out ozone depleting substances (ODS) as mandated by the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, a Hydrocholorfluorocarbon (HCFC) Phase Out Workshop was recently conducted with stakeholders of the air conditioning and refrigeration industry.  

The Workshop was held by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, in collaboration with the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the United Nations Environment Programme - Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNEP-ROLAC) during the period September 27-28, 2012.

UWI's Professor Gurmohan Kochhar addressing the participants of the Seminar

The workshop concentrated on many aspects of the refrigeration and air condition industry and the foam sector. It also marked an opportunity for senior decision makers to gain a wider view on how business practices can be changed to improve companies’ green business performance, including energy efficiency, climate and ozone impacts.

Facilitators were:

1. Professor Gurmohan Kochhar - Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UWI St. Augustine 
2. Mr Alvin Daniel - Engineering and Refrigeration Consultant
3. Dr. Marissa Gowrie - Deputy Environmental Manager and National Ozone Officer, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources

Dr Gowrie, National Ozone Officer giving the participants an introduction to the Montreal Protocol