Pacific Island Countries Network

PIC Network

The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) were formerly part of the South East Asia and the Pacific (SEAP) Network. In November 2008 at the 56th Meeting of the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, established a separate Regional Network for PICs in accordance with Decision 56/33 of the ExCom. With this decision, the PIC Network became the last regional network among nine regional networks established within UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP).

The PIC Network is composed of 14 Article 5 countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The Network is also supported by Australia, a developed country partner that has continuously provided support to the network.

Achievements

Like other Article 5 countries, the PIC network countries have already phased out the consumption of chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) since 2010. The PIC network countries have reduced their HCFC consumption at a much faster pace than obligations under the Montreal Protocol. The 2022 hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) consumption of 14 PICs represents 85% reduction from the HCFC baseline level (average consumption in 2009-2010) compared to the 35% phase-out obligation. Among these 14 PICs, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Niue have reported zero HCFC consumption since 2018 and committed to maintain zero HCFC consumption from 2021-2030, while Papua New Guinea will phase-out HCFC consumption from 1 January 2025 as part of their HCFC Phase-out Management Plan. This demonstrates that the PICs do not only accelerate HCFC phase-out, but also sustain their HCFC phase-out achievements.

The PIC Network has the unique achievement that 13 out of 14 countries have ratified the Kigali Amendment and the only remaining country is in an advanced stage toward ratification. This demonstrates the Network’s strong political commitment to the mitigation of climate change in solidarity with other countries.

Highlights

Network/Thematic meetings, Training, and other workshops: From 2022, the following regional/sub-regional events were successfully organized for the PIC in continuation with achievements previously built for the network.

2024

2023

2022

Strengthening ODS/HFC Trade Control:

Integrated approaches: The PIC network countries are implementing “integrated approaches” which utilizes the existing mechanisms within the country especially of the Customs Authority to further strengthen enforcement of licensing system, while minimizing workloads to officers. These integrated approaches include harmonized system (HS) code, data reconciliation, risk profiling, post-clearance audit and market inspection etc. The integrated approaches supplement training of customs and enforcement officers and expand coverage of enforcement to be beyond the customs checkpoint to strengthen enforcement of ODS/HFC licensing system.
Digitalization of ODS/HFC licensing system Few countries have digitalized their quota and licensing system i.e. development of a standalone electronic licensing system or the National Single Window System. The digitalization has not only streamlined licensing procedures, but also strengthened data tracking and monitoring of trade data through the real-time database. It has also minimized data difference between sources, which facilitates data reconciliation for data reporting and makes countries ready to control HFC trade effectively.
Regional Harmonized System Code: Under the Pacific Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System 2022 (PACHS22) developed by the Oceania Customs Organization (OCO), UNEP supported PIC network countries to have specific harmonized system (HS) code for HFCs to facilitate HFC data collection and reporting.
Standard Operating Procedures: UNEP in collaboration with OCO developed the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Enforcement of Licensing System from beginning to the end of enforcement chain. The SOP guides enforcement authority on procedures to adopt to effectively enforce the licensing system.
Importers and customs brokers training: PIC network countries recognized the importance of educating importers and customs brokers to be aware of the implication of misdeclaration and build their capacity to accurately declare description, HS code, and country of origin during the customs clearance process. This initiative helps to address misdeclaration/incomplete declaration of ODS/HFC shipment, which undermines effective data monitoring and reconciliation.
Informal Prior-informed Consent (iPIC): PIC network countries voluntary adopted the Informal Prior Informed Consent (iPIC) mechanism to confirm legitimate trade of controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol.

Servicing Sector: Given that HCFC and HFC consumption in the PICs are only used in servicing sector, PIC network countries have strengthened capacity building of servicing technicians to minimize the leakage of controlled substances and to safely adopt new alternatives through the following approaches:

Policy options: Most PIC network countries have regulations to manage the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (RAC) servicing sector through technician license for handling refrigerants, which is a critical mechanism to ensure that only competent technicians are allowed to install and service RAC equipment.
Sustaining capacity building of servicing sector: PIC network countries are implementing measures to sustain capacity building of servicing sector through good servicing practices training and competency-based certification to ensure that they have competent skills for installation and servicing of appliances through:
- Institutionalizing good servicing practices into the national training curriculum and certification programmes of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) authority for students in formal education.
- Development of competency-based training and certification programme with recognized prior-learning (RPL) to recognize skilled and experienced technicians for existing technicians in the country.

Energy efficiency: PIC network countries are working closely with their energy policymaker from energy office to implement energy efficiency of refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) appliance while phasing out HCFCs/phasing down HFCs. As a result of the Twinning Workshop of Montreal Protocol Officers, Energy-Efficiency Policy Makers and Financial Mechanisms Focal Points to Support Kigali Amendment Objectives, potential areas of collaboration and synergy have been identified to guide countries how to strengthen energy efficiency in the context of the Montreal Protocol.

Regional Approach of the Multilateral Fund Project: PIC network demonstrated innovative implementation modality through regional approach in implementing the Multilateral Fund Project. There are two aspects of the regional approach which has contributed to the success and achievements of the Network:

Collaboration with regional organizations in the region such as Oceania Customs Organization, the Secretariat of Pacific Community, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency to avail their knowledge, expertise and assist each PIC for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol;
The PICs successfully developed and implemented the Regional PIC HPMP, which enables the PICs to share experiences, good practices and lesson learned with each other. This modality has been extended to new projects including the Kigali HFC Implementation Plan, Energy Efficiency and Inventories of Banks of Used or Unwanted Controlled Substances.

South-South Cooperation: The PIC Network has had very good south-south cooperation initiatives in particular working attachment to experienced National Ozone Units (NOUs). Through close collaboration with NOUs/countries that have extensive experience on specific issues, new NOUs could quickly update their knowledge and skills. UNEP also successfully facilitated other types of south-south cooperation such as sending a resource person from one country to assist another to deliver training on good practices and customs and enforcement.

Gender Mainstreaming: The PIC Network has included gender mainstreaming into the Montreal Protocol implementation such as gender data collection, gender awareness-raising and gender promotion activities and set gender promotion as one of the targets in the activities where possible. Agenda items on gender mainstreaming has been included in the PIC Network Meeting to provide update to the network countries.

Future Objectives

While all PICs are compliance to obligations under the Montreal Protocol, there is a high risk of potential non-compliance due to the very low consumption. A very small margin of error for quota allocation, management, and reporting of the trade of controlled substances can have an impact on compliance. There has been high turn-over of National Ozone Officer in the PIC network and it is important to explore how to build and maintain the institutional memory to ensure the continuity of the National Ozone Unit work when new National Ozone Officer is recruited.

From 1 January 2024, UNEP OzonAction through CAP is supporting the PIC network countries to comply with two parallel obligations; phase-out HCFC consumption and phase-down HFC consumption. To address emerging needs of PIC network countries, the focus area in PIC network are:

Building and maintaining institutional memory: \Provide training through Training of not only the new National Ozone Officer but also assistant to the National Ozone Officer through UNEP CAP training course, mentoring and sharing the knowledge of more experienced ozone officers with their peers.
Streamlining Montreal Protocol implementation for parallel HCFC phase-out and HFC phase-down obligations: Support the PIC network countries to determine a strategy/action to effectively manage HFC phase-down in conjunction with HCFC phase-out in holistic manner to avoid duplication of intervention.
Sustaining Montreal Protocol compliance targets: Provide support to enhance the modus operandi of controlling, collecting, analyzing and reconciling import statistics and implement more enhanced cooperation between importers, National Ozone Unit, Customs Officers, and other national statistic bodies.
Enforcement of ODS/HFC licensing and quota system: Provide guidance and support on streamlining licensing and quota system procedures and strengthening enforcement of the licensing and quota system, legislation and regulations given that national authorities have more substances to control under the Kigali Amendment.
Management of Servicing Sector: Support PIC network countries to engage and manage both RAC and mobile air-conditioning (MAC) sectors based on each country’s context especially urgent need to engage MAC sector, which is newly identified sector under the Kigali Amendment in all countries.
Integrating ODS/HFC control into post disasters management: PICs are also Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and vulnerable to Climate Change. Due to the impact of climate change, the PIC countries have experienced frequent and intense cyclones in recent years. The impact of these cyclones can result in damage to infrastructure. Countries must integrate ODS/HFC control and adoption of low GWP and energy efficient policy into post-disaster planning and actions to ensure compliance when having to replace damaged RAC equipment.
Fisheries Sector: This sector is the main economy in some PICs and is now highly reliant on R-404A, a very high GWP HFC. Due to the long lifetime of fisheries vessels and the high GWP of R-404A, there is a need to support countries concerning policies, technical assistance, and awareness measures to ensure compliance with the future phase-down obligations.
Energy efficiency, National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP) and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in the context of the Montreal Protocol: The cooling sector especially refrigeration and air-conditioning sector plays important roles on energy efficiency and refrigerant phase-out/phase-down. There is opportunity to integrate refrigerant phase-out/phase-down to institutionalize this sector in the NCAP and NDC.
Inventories of Banks of Used or Unwanted Controlled Substances: Provide support to countries to understand potential inventories of banks of used or unwanted controlled substances and identification of potential strategy for country to handle used or unwanted controlled substances in accordance with the relevant decision.
Gender mainstreaming: Build the capacity of PIC network countries to assess gender mainstreaming and identify entry point to integrate gender into Montreal Protocol implementation workstream.

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REGIONAL CONTACTS

Mr Pipat Poopeerasupong
Interim Montreal Protocol Regional Coordinator for Pacific Island Countries
UNEP, Law Division, OzonAction

OzonAction CAP team for Asia and Pacific