Environmental plan

Ministry of Environment signs UNDP plan to phase-out use of Ozone Depleting Substances

The Ministry of Environment signed on Wednesday (January 18) a proposal for phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS), namely hydro-chloro-fluoro-carbons (HCFC).

The proposal for the HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) was formulated by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The HPMP is under the Institutional Strengthening Project for the implementation of Montreal Protocol. The plan’s preparation phase was funded with around $237,000 from Montreal Protocol’s Multilateral Fund.
Lebanon is committed to the complete phase-out of ODS in accordance with the Montreal Protocol, which it signed in March 1993.

According to a UNDP survey of Lebanon’s HCFC consumption conducted in 2008, the consumption of HCFC doubled between 1995 and 2005. The main sources of HCFC are refrigerators and air conditioning systems.

The HCFC phase-out plan includes a review of existing regulatory and policy framework, an estimation of costs and associated technical assistance needs, as well as stakeholder consultations.

The plan will be implemented through the National Ozone Unit (NOU), which was established within the Ministry of Environment in 1998. The NOU’s objective is to assist the ministry’s efforts in the phase out of ODS, which include adopting policies and regulations, monitoring procedures, and overseeing the projects specified in the program.

According to the UNDP, Lebanon has made significant progress in ODS phase-out over the past 12 years. The country has reduced ODS consumption from 923 tonnes in 1993 to 33.17 tonnes in 2008.