Manama, October 28 (BNA) The Personal Representative of His Majesty the King, Chairman of the Supreme Council for the Environment, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, announced that the Kingdom of Bahrain had won the presidency of the Executive Authority. The Montreal Protocol Committee on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer 2022.
This is the first achievement of its kind at the Gulf level since the ratification of the protocol in 1987.
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa praised the royal directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for the effective participation of the Kingdom of Bahrain in international organizations and bodies.
He also praised the Kingdom’s keenness to cooperate in the environmental field and combat climate change and its repercussions.
His Highness stressed the pivotal role of the Executive Committee of the Montreal Protocol in supporting international efforts to protect the environment.
He said that the committee is concerned with drawing policies and making financial decisions for the Multilateral Fund, which has contributed for more than three decades with $4.25 billion to help 145 countries comply with the requirements of the Montreal Protocol and protect the ozone layer.
His Highness affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain has implemented 38 projects through the Multilateral Fund, worth $3.84 million, to help the refrigeration and air conditioning sectors switch to non-ozone-depleting alternatives.
A similar amount is expected to be spent in the coming years when implementing projects related to the phase-down of HFCs.
His Highness expressed his aspiration that the period during which the Kingdom of Bahrain assumes the presidency of the Executive Committee will be full of achievements and witness the discussion of projects related to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, as well as sisterly and friendly projects.
He noted that the objective was to develop strategic plans for the second phase of projects to phase out ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).
He pointed out the importance of linking those projects with appropriate alternative technologies for countries, especially countries with a hot climate.
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa thanked all the countries that supported the Kingdom of Bahrain and expressed his confidence in its chairmanship of the Executive Committee.
AOQ