Beirut, Lebanon, 15 July 2022 ‒ The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP), West Asia Office, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the National Ozone Unit (NOU) of the Syrian Arab Republic, organized a successful two-day workshop from 23-24 June 2022 in Beirut, Lebanon, for the manufacturing sector of Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning (RAC) and thermal insulations in Syria on alternative technologies and data verification for the investment components of the HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) Stage I for Syria.
Mr. Khaled Klaly, UNEP CAP’s Montreal Protocol Regional Coordinator, West Asia, welcomed participants to the workshop and outlined its key objectives to update the national policy and standards, share the latest progress of alternative low-GWP technologies, and collect and validate HCFC consumption data in Syria, and provided an overview of the HPMP Stage I project in Syria.
Subsequently, Mr. Emanuel Kalenzi, UNIDO Representative and Head of the Regional Office for Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, and Ms. Rouida Nahar, Director, Renewable Energies and Cleaner Production at the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment in Syria, in their introductory remarks, highlighted the importance of the workshop in sharing the latest progress of alternative low-GWP technologies, and collecting and validating HCFC consumption data in the country.
The representatives of the NOUs of Iraq and Lebanon, Ms. Shatha Khalf, and Mr. Mazen Hussein, respectively, expressed their thanks to UNEP for the invitation to participate in the workshop and highlighted the achievements and plans in Iraq and Lebanon under the Montreal Protocol (MP). On the other hand, the participants from the Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) industrial sectors in Syria presented the current situation of the industry, their needs, and expectations from the HPMP projects, and they showed examples of the factories destroyed during the war and the difficult circumstances they are working under to rebuild their industry.
During the workshop, the opportunity was given to participants to learn about alternative technologies and the requirements to phase-out HCFCs in the manufacturing processes within the context of the HPMP Stage I project for Syria and how UNEP and UNIDO can provide the required assistance. In addition, the workshop provided a platform for sharing experiences between the participating countries about post-conflict recovery in policy, regulations, and the manufacturing sector under the MP.
Moreover, the workshop gave the participants an overview of the purpose and importance of collecting and validating the HCFCs consumption data through individual meetings with each of the industry representatives to prepare and submit the investment components for the phasing-out of HCFCs (HCFC-141b in PU foam, HCFC-142b in XPS board and HCFC-22 in domestic air-conditioners) to the 91st Executive Committee Meeting in December 2022. Furthermore, during individual meetings, the industry representatives provided information about the destruction that affected their factories and the plans for reconstruction and recovery.
The workshop concluded with the participants emphasizing the importance of cooperation between stakeholders and responsible Implementing Agencies to implement the Montreal Protocol projects.
For more information:
Khaled Klaly
Montreal Protocol Regional Coordinator, West Asia
UNEP OzonAction
E-mail: Khaled.klaly[at]un.org
