Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, Adrian Forde, has been re-elected as Vice President of the 35th Meeting of Parties (MOP35) to the Montreal Protocol, representing Latin American and Caribbean States.
The meeting is currently being convened in Nairobi, Kenya, where Minister Forde is accompanied by Barbados’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations at Nairobi, High Commissioner Alex McDonald; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Yolande Howard; Ozone Officer in the Ministry, Shontelle Wellington; and First Secretary of the Barbados Mission in Nairobi, Jovan Reid.
This very important protocol is the landmark multilateral agreement which regulates the production and consumption of nearly 100 man-made chemicals, referred to as ozone depleting substances.
In his statement to MOP35, Minister Forde called for immediate action to address the threats to the ozone layer recovery rates, which are caused by, amongst other things, the impacts of the El Niño phenomenon.
He suggested a three-pronged approach which would help not only to protect the ozone layer, but also to ensure that global warming does not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius pre-industrial levels.
Minister Forde stated: “First, we must rapidly advance measures to develop and support implementation of alternative energy sources to power cooling equipment. Secondly, we must promote the enhanced production and consumption of ozone and climate friendly and energy efficient cooling products.
“Finally, and more importantly, we must ensure that energy efficient cooling systems are available and accessible to all. In this regard, I look forward to working more closely with all parties to eliminate this potential threat.”
Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy