Since 1994 Barbados has been actively following guidelines under the Montreal Protocol to phase out the use of ozone depleting substances.
Minister of Environment and Drainage Dr Denis Lowe said Barbados is on course to reduce hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) refrigerants by 35 per cent by 2020 and to zero consumption by 2030.
He was speaking at the launch of the National Ozone Depleting Substances Phase Out Support Scholarship today at the Savannah Hotel.
In recognition of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, the focus was on progress made in the area of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, which had been identified as the main category of ozone depleting substances imported into Barbados.
Meanwhile, National Ozone Officer of the National Ozone Unit Rickardo Ward emphasised the need for the certification and licensing of all technicians in the RAC industry.
Ward said it was important to get a handle on who is involved in dealing with servicing equipment and how they are managing the gases. He said the trend towards the newer refrigerants, which may not be ozone depleting, but carry more risk in handling them.
“We want to make sure that persons are properly exposed to proper training channels and also for those who are not formally trained, but practising, they are certified,” Ward said. (LK)
