Environment: Nigeria achieves Carbon , Tetrachloride Free Target -FG

Environment: Nigeria achieves Carbon , Tetrachloride Free Target -FG

The Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar has revealed that Nigeria has achieved its target for the phase-out of the use of Halons, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) Methyl Bromide and Carbon Tetrachloride which are Ozone Depleting Substances in all sectors of the economy using the implementation of the Montreal Protocol’s programme.

The Minister made this revelation today while declaring open the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Programme (KCEP) project stakeholders’ inception workshop on, “Improving Energy Efficiency in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Cooling Sector organised by the Federal Ministry of Environment” in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

According to him “ it is instructive to note that my Ministry has been implementing the Montreal Protocol’s Programme to phase out the use of Ozone Depleting Substances in all sectors of our economy and over the years have achieved the protocol’s phase-out targets of 2010 for Halons, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Methyl Bromite, Carbon Tetrachloride among others”

Speaking further, the Minister reiterated the commitment of The Federal Government of Nigeria to phase out the use of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), an Ozone-Depleting Substance currently used as a Refrigerant in the Refrigeration & Air conditioning sector and also as a Blowing agent in the Polyurethane foam sector. 

He added that the same vigour used in the implementation of the HCFC Phase-out programme will be used in the phase-down of high Global Warming Potential, Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), in line with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. He further said that the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Programme’s (KCEP) project on the improvement of energy efficiency in the cooling sector will be consolidated to develop the National Cooling Plan Strategy for the country that will be backed by policies and regulations to be enforced by relevant MDAs for the ban on second-hand refrigeration and air conditioning appliances and inefficient cooling appliances.

Dr. Mahmood emphasized that refrigeration and air conditioning appliances are critical for comfort and cornerstone of modern life, food safety, economy and access to safe medicine but warned that these appliances are also big contributors to global warming because they often use the greenhouse gases as cooling agents, thereby contributing to global warming.

“Researches have shown that the number of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment worldwide is expected to quadruple to 14 billion by 2050 with emission projection of approximately 8.97 gigatons Carbon dioxide equivalent, therefore, leaving the cooling sector unregulated will cause Greenhouse gas emission to skyrocket and take us far from achieving the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global temperature well below 2 degrees Centigrade.

Delivering the welcome address of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Bakari Wadinga, the Director Pollution Control & Environmental Health, Charles Ikeah affirmed that cooling is essential to human health and prosperity and is becoming more important as the world urbanises.

Dr Wadinga stressed that the current cooling technologies such as refrigeration and air conditioning rely on human-made gases that are either ozone-depleting substances or high global warming potential gases, mainly Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which are almost 10,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide in causing global warming

He urged participants to actively participate at the workshop and come up with recommendations for successful implementation of the KCEP project on improving Energy Efficiency in the cooling sector.

The Resident Representative of the United Nation Development Programme, Mohamed Yahya congratulated Nigeria for the achievement recorded in the implementation of the global environmental treaties especially the Montreal Protocol on the phase-out of Ozone Depleting Substances. He conveyed the message of the Resident Representative that UNDP will continue to support the Federal Ministry of Environment in the implementation of projects towards sustaining the environment. He said the workshop is an opportunity to build on previous efforts to promote energy efficiency in the country.