Jean Francois Thomas, Minister of the Environment through the National Ozone Office, recently proceeded to the distribution of equipment to preserve the ozone layer and improve the response to climate change to 50 refrigeration technicians trained in recovery/recycling and conversion technology.

These devices are designed to: Reduce operating costs of refrigeration equipment; Ensure proper operation of obsolete refrigeration equipment until the end of their economically useful life; Decrease pressure on demand, Prepare an orderly transition to technically viable alternative technologies and economically accessible and support the efforts of the General Administration of Customs in the application of quota reduction of importation of substances that deplete the ozone layer.

Recall that the HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons), including the HCFC-22, are refrigerant (coolant) used in residential, commercial and industrial air conditioning. These are very important products among others : for the conservation of perishable goods, the proper functioning of operating rooms, of supermarkets, telecommunications systems and information... These products so important they are, must be eliminated by 2030 because of their destructive impact on the ozone layer and global warming, as was decided by the 197 States Parties to the Montreal Protocol, whose Haiti is signatory.

The challenge today, concerns the use of substitutes, free of negative effect on the ozone layer, devoid of global warming potential and with energy efficiency, conditions necessary for the acceleration of the recovery of the ozone layer. Haiti will begin phasing out HCFCs by 2015, with the entry into force of a quota reduction of 10%.

In Haiti 98% of substances having a destructive effect on the ozone layer, are in the field of air conditioning and refrigeration.

In response to this threat, the Haitian Government intends to promote alternatives without negative impact on the ozone layer and provided with energy efficiency to mitigate the effects of climate change and to turn : towards refrigeration technicians for best practices in managing cold; the users for the orderly transition to alternative technologies respectful of the environment; the public authorities to control illegal trade in substances involved or subject to quotas and dumping.

SL/ HaïtiLibre