Awards presented to participants

Mr. Kavydass Ramano, Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management, and Climate Change, launched a one-day awareness workshop at the Caudan Arts Centre in Port-Louis on Monday, September 16, 2024, as part of World Ozone Day 2024.

The event is a collaboration between the Ministry and the United Nations Environment Programme. This year’s theme is « The Montreal Protocol : Progress in Climate Action ». The initiative aims to highlight climate-friendly actions taken under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which focuses on phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

To celebrate this year’s event, the Ministry organized several activities, including a refrigeration and air conditioning technician training program and a video competition. Awards were presented to the participants during the ceremony. In his opening speech, the Minister of Environment stated that the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is a global event aimed at raising awareness about the importance of the ozone layer and the need to protect it. He added that the day highlights the work done to reduce ozone-depleting compounds and encourages long-term practices that contribute to preserving this essential resource.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Kavydass Ramano emphasized the role of the Montreal Protocol in gradually reducing the consumption and production of various ozone-depleting substances (ODS). Different timelines are used for developed and developing countries to prevent ozone depletion. Without this treaty, ozone depletion would have been ten times worse by 2050 compared to current levels, resulting in millions of additional cases of melanoma and other malignancies.