UNDP Resident Representative remarks at launch of the DVD “Trinidad and Tobago’s Efforts to Reduce the Use of Ozone Depleting Substances”

 On Tuesday May 4th, 2010, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP’s Resident Representative Dr. Marcia de Castro presented remarks at the launch of the DVD entitled “Trinidad and Tobago’s Efforts to Reduce the Use of Ozone Depleting Substances”. The launch was held at the offices of the Ministry of Planning, Housing and the Environment (MPHE), Trinidad.

 In 1989 Trinidad and Tobago became the first Caribbean country to sign the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987) in which countries agreed to systematically eliminate the use of Ozone Depletion Substances (ODS) by eliminating the most destructive chemicals first. The National Ozone Unit (NOU) was subsequently established and is currently based in the MPHE. The NOU works with various stakeholders such as the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Association (ARIA), distributors of refrigerants, the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS), the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and UNDP to effectively meet Trinidad and Tobago’s obligations under the Protocol.

 The DVD launched is approximately fifteen minutes long. It was funded by UNDP and executed by the NOU and forms an essential component of the public education and awareness efforts of the NOU. It describes the problem posed by ODS such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons  (HCFCs) and takes the public through the many ways in which Trinidad and Tobago is dealing with the issues. It also outlines actions which the general public can take, increasing the chances of effectively phasing out usage of ODS within the prescribed time and decreasing the impacts of ozone depletion. 

 

The DVD “Trinidad and Tobago’s Efforts to Reduce the Use of Ozone Depleting Substances” can be viewed at this link