The South East Asia (SEA) Network was the first network established in 1993 with support from Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (Sida), based on the experience of the Nordic countries. Starting from 2010, the SEA Network has been supported by the Multilateral Fund under UNEP, Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP). This further mainstreamed the SEA Network in UNEP CAP along with nine other regional networks.
Currently, there are 11 Article 5 countries in the SEA Network: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam. The Network is supported by two non-Article 5 countries.
Achievements
The SEA Network enhances the ability of National Ozone Officers (NOOs) to design and implement phase-out/phase-down policies, strategies, and programmes that are appropriate to the conditions in their countries. The Network has strengthened the capabilities and confidence of the NOOs, and thereby identified additional stakeholders under the Kigali Amendment, strengthened collaboration with national stakeholders, and accelerated the formulation of policies and regulations in the member countries. This Network has been promoting the exchange of experiences and sharing of information and approaches among the network members, developed country partners, technical experts, the Ozone Secretariat, the Multilateral Fund Secretariat, Implementing Agencies, and other organizations and individuals experienced with Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) phase-out and Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) phase down under the Kigali Amendment.
The SEA Network countries have already phased out the consumption of chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) since 2010. Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) consumption in the SEA Network is declining from the freeze level in 2013. Based on the 2022 Article 7 on HCFC consumption, the SEA Network has achieved a 64% reduction from the HCFC baseline level (average consumption in 2009-2010), well in advance of their legal obligations under the Montreal Protocol. As June 2024 eight SEA Network countries ratified the Kigali Amendment: Lao PDR (2017), Viet Nam (2019), Malaysia (2020), Cambodia (2021), Singapore (2022), Philippines (2022), Indonesia (2022), and Thailand (2024).
Highlights
From 2022 to date, the following regional/sub-regional events were organized for the SEA Network. Background information on these events and past ones is available in the OzonAction Meeting Portal.
2024
2023
- Parallel Network Meeting of the Southeast Asia National Ozone Officers and Green Customs Workshop back-to-back with the Twinning National Ozone and Customs Officers Workshop on ODS/HFC Trade Control and Reporting, Halong City, Vietnam, 13-17 March 2023
- Pilot Advanced NOO Training, Joint Meeting of South Asia & Southeast Asia Networks of NOOs and Thematic Workshop to Enhance Awareness and Communication under the Montreal Protocol, Phuket, Thailand, 20-24 November 2023
- Training of Assessor on Competency-based Certification for Good Servicing Practices in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Servicing sector,Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia, 28-30 November 2023
2022
- Virtual Joint Thematic Workshop of South Asia and Southeast Asia Networks on Asia and Pacific Regional Ozone2Climate Art Contest, 10 February 2022
- Virtual Joint Thematic Workshop of South Asia, Southeast Asia and Pacific Island Countries Networks on Introduction of the TVET guidebook and strengthening of RSS management regulation - Especially RPL, 17 March 2022
- Virtual Joint Meeting of the South Asia, Southeast Asia and Pacific Island Countries Networks of National Ozone Officers, 27 April 2022
- Virtual Thematic Meeting on Adoption and Implementation of ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature 2022 (AHTN2022) for HFCs, 10 May 2022
- Joint Meeting of the South Asia, Southeast Asia and Pacific Island Countries Networks of National Ozone Officers, 17-19 July 2022, Bangkok, Thailand
- Joint Network Meeting of the South Asia and Southeast Asia Networks of National Ozone Officers and Training of New NOU staff, 3-7 October 2022, Chiangmai, Thailand.
Strengthening ODS/HFC Trade Control and Monitoring:
- Integrated approaches: SEA network countries are implementing “integrated approaches” which utilize 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 supplements training of customs and enforcement officers and expand coverage of enforcement to be beyond the customs checkpoint to strenthhen enforcement of ODS/HFC licensing system.
- Digitalization of ODS/HFC licensing system: SEA network countries has strengthened ODS/HFC trade control through digitalization of ODS/HFC licensing system such as deploying 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 realtime database. It has also minimized data diffenece between sources, which facilitates data reconciliation before data reporting.
- HFC quota allocation and management: Under the Kigali Amendment, control measure of HFCs is in tonnes CO2 equivalent. Unlike HCFC, all SEA network countries consume more than one type of HFC. Allocation and management of HFC quota system is more complex as countries have to manage multiple HFCs and blends, which have different GWP values while complying with the national limit in tonnes of CO2 equivalent. All Parties to the Kigali Amendment in the SEA network have established and implemented their HFC quota system based on tonnes CO2 equilavent to ensure compliance with the freeze obligation in 2024.
- Informal Prior-informed Consent (iPIC): SEA network countries maintain regular communication to confirm legitimate trade of controlled subsatnces under the Montreal Protocol through voluntary iPIC mechanisms.
Servicing Sector: Article 5 Parties under the Montreal Protocol are making efforts in sustaining the phase-out of HCFCs and, in light of the Kigali Amendment, adopting lower GWP alternative refrigerants while maintaining/enhancing energy efficiency in a safe manner through:
- Policy options: SEA network countries have worked with national stakeholders to explore the existing legislative framework/regulations to effectively manage the RAC informal servicing sector such as requiring RAC workshops to employ certified RAC technicians as a pre-requisite condition to register/renew business licenses, and requiring RAC workshops to be equipped with tools/ equipment necessary for good servicing practices etc.
- Sustaining capacity building of servicing sector: SEA network countries are implementing measures to sustain capacity building of servicing sector through good servicing practices training and competency-based certification to ensure that theyhave 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.
- Application and database of certified RAC technicians: Some SEA network countries advance management of informal servicing sector through online database. Technicians register training and certification programme online to faciliiate application and admission process. It has enabled the authorities to have a comprehensive database of applicants, trainees and certified technicians, which can also be accessible for public use. With this, some countries promote certified technicians to consumers through application of certifited technicians.
Energy efficiency: SEA 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.
South-South Cooperation: SEA network countries has maintained strong south-south cooperation initiatives in which countries that have good practice/successful model on specific subject shared their experiences to other countries. UNEP OzonAction facilitated south-south cooperation in the following areas:
- Capacity building of NOUs and national stakeholders in the implementation of the Montreal Protocol;
- Good practices, and customs and enforcement training;
- Development of a national training curriculum and certification system;
- Development of an e-licensing system for ODS import and export control.
One of the biggest achievements of the Network was the trust that developed between the Ozone Officers through close interaction during the network meetings and south-south cooperation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no physical south-south cooperation. Cooperation would resume more fully in 2023 when travel restrictions are lifted in the region.
Gender mainstreaming: SEA 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 SEA Network Meeting to provide update to the network countries.
Future Objectives
From 1 January 2024, UNEP OzonAction through CAP is supporting SEA network countries to comply with two parallel obligations; phase-out HCFC consumption and phase-down HFC consumption. To address emerging needs of SEA network countries, the focus area in SEA network are:
- Supporting ratification and compliance with initial obligations under the Kigali Amendment: Provide technical and policy support to remaining countries in the network to ratify the Kigali Amendment and, after ratification, to provide support to meet their initial obligations under the Amendment.
- Streamlining Montreal Protocol implementation for parallel HCFC phase-out and HFC phase-down obligations: Support the SEA 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.
- 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.
- Data monitoring, reconcilation and reporting: Provide support to network countries to identify effective mechanism to enable countries to track quota utilization, management of assigned quota to importers and assist in developing mechanism to reconcile import/export data prior to reporting Country Programme and Article 7 to minimize data difference.
- Management of Servicing Sector: Support SEA 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.
- 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 SEA 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 Southeast Asia
OzonAction CAP team for Asia and Pacific
