Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 12
By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is implementing a joint project in Turkmenistan on a phased reduction of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in the country, Trend reports with reference to the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper.
As part of this project, the specialists of the National Ozone Center under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan organized a seminar for employees of the State Customs Service of the country. The audience was presented with an overview of international agreements and national legislation on the protection of the ozone layer.
In this regard, the role of customs officers in controlling the import and export of substances and mixtures containing prohibited or regulated ozone-depleting substances (ODS) was emphasized.
The overview also reflected import quotas, the licensing scheme, aspects of accounting for imported equipment containing refrigerants, as well as the code system for clean and ODS-containing mixtures, the report said.
The National Ozone Center actively interacts with the Turkmenstandartlary State Service, Turkmenhimiya State Concern, the commodity exchange of the country, international organizations in controlling the use of freons, which are subject to regulation in accordance with the Montreal Protocol.
In September 2018 it was reported that 99.95 percent of the main ODS were excluded from use in Turkmenistan since 1995. The R-22 refrigerant remaining in controlled use is planned to be withdrawn from circulation by 2040. Thus, it is planned to gradually phase out HCFCs in subsequent years.
The country has introduced a licensing system.In 2009, the law "On protection of the ozone layer" was adopted.The legislative documents have been developed for comprehensive control of import-export and consumption of ODS.
Most ODS are gases that actively contribute to global warming.The experts note that the reduction of ODS emissions has led to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and, as a consequence, the containment of climate change processes.
Follow Trend on Telegram. Only most interesting and important news