EPA Honors Climate Change, Ozone
Layer Protection Award Winners
In 1990, The United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created theStratospheric Ozone
Protection Awards to recognize outstanding contributions to the protection
of the Earth’s ozone layer. Since then, 554 individuals, companies,
organizations, and teams from 54 countries have been honored for their
dedication and accomplishments. The recipients of the awards have demonstrated
originality and public purpose, persuasive moral and organizational leadership,
and elimination of emissions of ozone-depleting substances. EPA’s Awards are
particularly prestigious because of the international breadth and scope of
impressive accomplishments by the award recipients.
"Perhaps the single
most successful international agreement to date has been the Montreal
Protocol."
-Kofi Annan, Former Secretary General of the United Nations
Just as the science, technology
and awareness in ozone layer protection advances and evolves, so do the EPA
awards. In 2009, EPA expanded the awards to include notable achievements that
improved public awareness of the health effects of overexposure to ultraviolet
radiation. Despite greater public awareness of health risks associated with
overexposure to harmful radiation from the sun, skin cancer continues to be the
most diagnosed cancer in the U.S., with rates of malignant melanoma, the rarest
and most often fatal form of skin cancer, on the rise. The World Health
Organization confirms that this trend is repeated all over the world. While
incidence increases, options to treat this cancer do not. In the U.S.,
particularly for rural, disadvantaged or medically-underserved populations,
melanoma is often fatal. Promoting greater understanding of the relationship
between ozone layer depletion, ultraviolet radiation, and health effects
continues to be an important additional focus of the awards.
In 2010, EPA is renaming the
awards the “U.S. EPA Montreal Protocol Awards” and will honor achievements
in ozone layer protection, climate protection, and human health protection
through sun safety. The public understands the issue of ozone depletion due to
the success of the international treaty addressing this environmental problem,
the Montreal Protocol, which is widely considered to be the most successful
multilateral environmental treaty in history. Although the ozone layer is on
track to recover this century, researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration have studied the “world avoided” – the catastrophic
implications for the ozone layer if the community of nations had not agreed to
solve this problem. These implications, in addition to widespread media coverage
of the Antarctic “ozone hole,” underscore the tremendous value of the
awardees’ contributions to protecting the planet and public health.
Announcing the 2010 U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Montreal Protocol Award Recipients!
2010 EPA
Montreal Protocol Awards Recipients with the Ambassador of Canada to the
United States Gary Doer.
This year's distinguished group
of awardees inspire other individuals and organizations to make a difference in
protecting the environment through their demonstrated commitment and
extraordinary contributions. The awardees are:
Individual Awardees
A. Stanley Culpepper:
A. Stanley Culpepper of the University of Georgia, U. S., is a leader in the
search for methyl bromide alternatives. He has initiated more than 60 trials to
evaluate the efficacies and cost-effectiveness of various compounds, and then
applied these research results to large-scale production operations to validate
or refute their application in real-world settings. These efforts have led to
the adoption of a successful alternative, the UGA 3-WAY, on almost 70 percent of
the plasticulture acreage in Georgia. Georgia vegetable producers have saved
more than $4 million as a result of his efforts.
Dr. Culpepper’s work also has
focused on ensuring that vegetable production workers and their surrounding
environments are protected. He was able to provide new scientifi c data to defi
ne buffer zones, adjust field re-entry times and develop protocols for emissions
monitoring. The benefits accrue to agricultural workers, farms, adjacent
environments, and the public. Dr. Culpepper has shared his ozone layer- saving
data at more than 35 vegetable production meetings in Georgia, Florida and the
surrounding region.
Steve Gorman:
Steve Gorman has devoted his career to the protection of the ozone layer through
positions with the government of Canada, U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) and
the World Bank. As a delegate from Canada, Mr. Gorman attended the third meeting
of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of
the Montreal Protocol, and in the 20 years since, has brought important
contributions, participating in more meetings than any person alive. His initial
success as a delegate from Canada included helping to create the Fund’s
infrastructure and complete its first evaluation.
Mr. Gorman then became UNEP’s
first ozone network coordinator. He created a system of outreach that enabled
close interaction with regional coordinators and the National Ozone Units in
more than 100 countries. He helped to craft solutions that enable developing
countries to comply with the Montreal Protocol.
Later, Mr. Gorman headed the
World Bank’s Ozone and Global Environment Facility portfolios. He leveraged
scarce resources to enable the development and implementation of robust projects
that often achieved energy efficiency and climate benefits, as well as ozone
layer protection value. He oversaw the development and execution of almost all
of the projects used to close the CFC and halon production sectors in developing
countries.
Alice M. Law: Alice
Law served as CFC Coordinator for U.S. EPA’s Region 7 until her retirement in
2006. Ms. Law was the technical lead on several cases that had national
significance. For example, she was instrumental in a national case against a
chemical manufacturer that illegally released ozone-depleting substances (ODS)
from industrial process refrigeration systems at 22 facilities in 18 states. A
settlement required the conversion of all the company’s industrial
refrigeration systems that used ODS in the U.S. to systems with alternative
refrigerants.
Ms. Law was also an integral part
of a landmark case that resulted in the largest civil settlement for U.S. ozone
layer protection to date. In 2000, a commercial bakery with facilities in
several states was found to be releasing thousands of pounds of CFCs through
unrepaired leaks. Ms. Law’s efforts built the record of violations. This case
helped the U.S. EPA identify and energize a particular industry sector to revamp
approaches and improve overall environmental protection.
Ms. Law also worked diligently to
educate facilities in the region about emissions reduction and proper disposal
of appliances containing ODS, spreading knowledge throughout Kansas, Iowa,
Nebraska, Missouri and nine tribal nations.
Marcia Levaggi: Marcia
Levaggi has been an outstanding contributor to the Montreal Protocol for more
than a decade. She has dedicated many hours to helping further the mission of
the Montreal Protocol. Her skills as a well-prepared, sharp negotiator for
Argentina and a consensus builder among the parties to the agreement led to her
selection as a leader in the protocol regime. Specifically, as chair of the
executive committee, she guided the body through many key decisions that helped
facilitate the cost-effective phaseout of ODS in developing countries.
As chair of the Open-Ended
Working Group at the Meeting of the Parties on the 20th anniversary of the
protocol, her patience and skills as a consensus builder helped the parties
reach the historic decision to accelerate the phaseout of HCFCs, a decision with
both ozone layer and climate implications. Ms. Levaggi has worked above and
beyond her normal capacity to help shape the success of the Montreal Protocol.
Janos Maté: Janos
Maté of Greenpeace International has been a strong voice for the ozone layer
and Earth’s atmosphere for nearly 20 years. Most recently, he represented
Greenpeace in a partnership of organizations that developed SolarChill coolers
to meet medical needs in remote locations. Using solar power, they provide safe,
reliable refrigeration to keep vaccines viable. Besides being ozone layer- and
climate-friendly, SolarChill devices are more dependable than battery-powered
coolers and do not contain heavy metals.
Since 1992, Mr. Maté has been
active with Greenpeace’s ozone layer and global climate campaign, active in
meetings of the parties to the Montreal Protocol and active in related technical
and policy events. He organized demonstrations in Canada during the 1990s to
raise awareness of ozone layer depletion. He has written research papers and
articles and produced two technical videos. Mr. Maté is also the recipient of
the United Nations Montreal Protocol Partners Award. He influenced industry
sponsors of the 2000 Summer Olympics to use ozone- and climate-friendly
technologies. Mr. Maté has adroitly organized, politely cajoled, insistently
nudged, and powerfully admonished on behalf of the Earth’s ozone layer.
Craig Sinclair: Craig
Sinclair is a pioneer in skin cancer prevention. He has worked diligently in
leadership roles at the Cancer Prevention Centre for Cancer Council Victoria,
the World Health Organization’s Collaborative Centre for UV Radiation and the
Skin Cancer Committee of the Cancer Council in Australia.
Cancer Council Victoria and the
Victorian Health Promotion Foundation jointly fund the SunSmart program in
Australia. This program, begun 16 years ago, has led the world in skin cancer
prevention and helped pave the way for other successful health promotion
programs.
The SunSmart Schools program
encourages healthy, balanced sun protection habits for life. Schools not only
encourage and reinforce these habits but change behavior through the family
network. Schools also work to implement physical changes to their landscapes to
protect against ultraviolet exposure.
Under Mr. Sinclair’s
leadership, Victoria is the national leader in solarium legislation across
Australia and in increased use of hats and sunscreens, reductions in sunburn and
a decrease in people’s desire for tanning. Commitment and cooperation among
government, commercial and community agencies have brought changes in social
norms and decreased rates of skin cancer among young people in Australia.
Air Marshal AK Singh
(Ret): Air Marshal AK Singh (Ret) has had a very successful and
distinguished career spanning 40 years in the Indian Air Force. He has
effectively championed the environmental cause globally. He is a great resource
about ozone layer protection for UNEP.
Mr. Singh has highlighted the
connectivity between the phaseout of ODS, climate change and national security
in many national and international seminars and conferences. He has extensively
contributed to building global awareness on this crucial subject. Mr. Singh has
served as the chairman of an international military advisory council at the
Institute for Environmental Security, whose mandate was to advise the
policymakers of the security pitfalls of not reaching a robust agreement on
climate change.
Air Marshal AK Singh is a lead
author of a UNEP publication, Ozone Protection and National Security: A
Military Perspective, Toolkit for Defence Forces. This publication provides
information to defense establishments across the globe on the design and
implementation of ozone-friendly approaches in military equipment, operations
and maintenance activities. He has brought the issue of ozone layer protection
to the highest political and armed forces personnel in India and elsewhere in
Asia and Pacific region.
Air Marshal AK Singh has written
and presented many papers on the management of ODS in armed forces and the
concept of a “Green Army.” He is an excellent orator, and he has used this
skill while addressing many a civil and military workshop to drive home the
message of resource efficiency. He has been honored with four Presidential
awards and one National award in India for exceptional contribution in related
fields.
T.J. Wallington: T.
J. Wallington is a leader in understanding the scientific properties of CFC
replacements and has studied the atmospheric chemistry of a large variety of
HFCs, HCFCs, HFEs (hydrofluoroethers) and FTOHs (fluorotelomer alcohols). The
compounds are used in a variety of automotive and non-automotive applications,
including refrigerants, paints, coatings, polymers, adhesives, waxes, polishes,
caulks and heat transfer agents.
Working with colleagues in
industry, academia and national laboratories, Dr. Wallington has coauthored more
than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles on the chemistry of CFC replacements
and related compounds. He has made substantial contributions to the scientific
knowledge of the atmospheric lifetimes, chemical degradation mechanisms and
impacts on stratospheric ozone and climate change of CFC replacements.
Dr. Wallington’s work has
contributed significantly to the scientific understanding that HFC-134a does not
threaten ecosystems with toxic degradation products, does not pose any
significant risk to stratospheric ozone and has a global warming potential that
is approximately a factor of eight less than that for CFC-12. This recognition
that HFC-134a was an acceptable early replacement for CFC-12 contributed to its
global adoption in vehicle air conditioning. Dr. Wallington has not stopped
researching alternatives; indeed, today he is assessing the atmospheric
lifetimes, global warming potentials and environmental acceptability of
next-generation refrigerants.
Tata Young: Tata
Young is a Thai-American recording artist, model and actress. Since 2008, Ms.
Young has been collaborating with UNEP’s OzonAction Compliance Assistance
Programme (CAP) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific to raise public
awareness about ozone layer protection among millions of people in the region.
Ms. Young was featured in a “My
Ozone Wish” public service announcement, featuring a variety of well-known
individuals from countries across Asia and the Pacific region. She assisted UNEP
in launching the Ozzy Ozone cartoon booklet, Ozzy Goes Island Hopping,
raising awareness among children about ozone layer protection and climate
change.
Ms. Young collaborated with the
CAP team and the European Commission to perform at the EU Green Days: What on
Earth Concert in Bangkok in October of 2009. She sang songs and encouraged
people to use ozone-friendly products. While promoting her latest album, Ms.
Young has placed on the CD cover a sticker designed by the UNEP CAP team. The
sticker says, “Protect Yourself, Protect the Ozone Layer.” She also agreed
to build a long-term collaboration with the CAP on ozone protection and climate
change.
Team Awardees
British Antarctic Survey
Team: The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) team of Joe Farman, Brian
Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin published the research paper that marked the
discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole 25 years ago. This has become one of the
most cited papers in atmospheric environmental sciences and continues to
generate media and public interest. Their discovery of the ozone hole was
influential in leading all United Nations countries to sign the Montreal
Protocol.
Joe Farman and Brian Gardiner are
now retired, while Jonathan Shanklin is head of the BAS Meteorology and Ozone
Monitoring Unit (MOMU). All three have had hands-on experience measuring ozone
in the Antarctic using the Dobson ozone spectrophotometer. They also have
conducted observations using balloonborne sondes.
The team members have published
many articles in scientific and popular literature, as well as contributed to
countless interviews in the media. Mr. Shanklin and the current MOMU team are
actively involved in outreach to schools, promoting understanding of the ozone
layer and climate change and inspiring children to study science.
The HCFC-22 Illegal
Import Prevention Team: As a parallel to what happened when CFCs were
phased out in developed countries, it comes as no surprise that there is now
high demand for illegal ozone depleting substances (ODS). For this reason, it is
urgent for federal agencies to monitor the trade and prevent emerging forms of
trafficking triggered by the phaseout. This team is sending signals that illegal
importation of HCFC-22 into the United States (U.S.) will result in major
penalties, discouraging others from potential smuggling.
To legally import HCFC-22 under
the U.S. Clean Air Act, one must hold an unexpended consumption allowance
granted by EPA. The importers in this action illegally imported approximately
420,000 kilograms of restricted HCFC-22 with a market value of more than $3.9
million. At no time did they hold the necessary consumption allowances. The head
of the company pled guilty and received a substantial prison term, and the
company is paying a hefty fine.
The action was part of ongoing
coordination among federal partners to implement the phaseout of HCFCs and
prevent illegal imports. Actions such as these ensure that the U.S. meets its
obligations under the Montreal Protocol to control the consumption of ODS. These
actions also ensure that companies acting within the law are not disadvantaged
or undercut in price. Perhaps most importantly, this highly-publicized case
culminated at the onset of the 2010 step-down in HCFC-22. Without strong signals
that illegal imports will be seized and criminals will be prosecuted, others
would try to smuggle and sell illegal HCFC-22.
The team consists of:
- Thomas A. Watts-FitzGerald,
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida;
- Jodi Mazer, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Criminal Enforcement Counsel;
- Oswaldo Romero, Jr., U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Enforcement Division;
- Maureen O’Mara, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Enforcement Division;
- Andy Castro, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Enforcement Division;
- Giddel Casadesus, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and
- James Weir, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Organization Awardees
Congressional Families
Cancer Prevention Program: The Congressional Families Cancer Prevention
Program was founded in 1991 as a partnership between the Congressional Club and
the nonprofit Prevent Cancer Foundation. The program is a bipartisan effort to
increase the public’s understanding of cancer prevention and early detection.
The program has 150 members, representing families of Senate, House, Cabinet and
Supreme Court members. They work to educate the public on the significance of
cancer prevention and early detection in saving lives. The Congressional
Families Program has shown outstanding leadership in raising awareness about the
harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.
Members take important awareness
and prevention messages back to their home communities. Their methods include:
- Appearing in televised public
service announcements;
- Speaking to civic and other
community groups;
- Writing articles and
opinion-editorial columns for local newspapers and newsletters;
- Appearing on local television
and radio talk shows; and
- Participating in health fairs,
special events and conferences.
The program empowers community
members to make lifestyle choices that reduce their risk for various preventable
cancers, such as skin cancer.
Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency (Sida): Work by the Swedish
International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has significantly
contributed to the successful implementation of the Montreal Protocol across the
globe.
The Ozone Depleting Substances
Officers Network in the South East Asian/Pacific Region (ODSONET/SEAP) was set
up in 1993 to provide institutional structure for sharing experience and ideas
on phaseout measures for ODS. This network idea originated from the experience
of the countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, which had
formed an informal and highly productive network of their ozone officers. There
are now 10 regional networks involving 148 developing and 14 developed
countries.
In the early 2000s, developing
countries were concentrating their efforts in carrying out national plans to
phase out CFCs. With support from Sida, the Stockholm Environment Institute and
the U.N. Environment Programme teamed up to start a regional project to improve
monitoring and control of ODS in the South East Asia and the Pacific region.
This project has improved cooperation between Customs and National Ozone Units,
increased efforts by Customs to address environmental crime issues and prevented
illegal trade from undermining national phaseout efforts.
Corporate Awardees
American Refrigeration
Supplies, Inc.: American Refrigeration Supplies, Inc. (ARS) is leading
the way to recover refrigerants that otherwise would be left in recovery
cylinders and ultimately released into the atmosphere. ARS collected
nonreturnable refrigerant cylinders from customers when the cylinders were
considered to be empty and determined how much refrigerant was actually still
remaining and could be recovered. This procedure showed that a sizeable quantity
of emissions could be prevented if the current industry practice in the
commercial refrigeration sector were changed.
ARS is being recognized for their
leadership in more appropriate handling of refrigerant containers, and for
implementing this practice into the ARS business plan. This practice results in
a major environmental benefit by reducing refrigerant emissions and increasing
recycling of both the refrigerants and their containers.
Food Lion LLC: Food
Lion LLC was one of the first companies to commit to EPA’s GreenChill
Partnership. In 2009, Food Lion converted 103 R-22 systems at 70 stores to
alternative refrigerants, removed and replaced approximately 26,000 kilograms of
hydrochlorofl uorocarbons (HCFCs), and reduced the company’s overall HCFC
refrigerant charge by nearly 3 percent. Through routine leak testing, quarterly
reporting, and benchmarking by maintenance technicians on leak rates, Food Lion
has achieved a 7.4-percent reduction in its corporate-wide commercial
refrigeration emissions rate since joining GreenChill.
Food Lion was the first
GreenChill partner to pioneer the new generation of secondary loop refrigeration
systems in mediumtemperature and low-temperature systems. Data from these
systems were instrumental in the success and expansion of secondary loop
technology throughout the supermarket industry. Food Lion now has five stores
that use advanced refrigeration systems with glycol and/or carbon dioxide (CO2),
which reduce the amount of refrigerant needed by more than half. In 2009- 2010,
Food Lion was again at the forefront of new refrigeration technology in the
United States by opening three stores that use cascading CO2
refrigeration systems, two of which received GreenChill Gold-Level Store
Certification for store emissions reductions of 75 percent versus the industry
norm.
PT Garuda Maintenance
Facility Aero Asia and Indonesian Halon Bank: PT Garuda Maintenance
Facility Aero Asia (GMF), a subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia, the country’s flag
carrier, is a leader in halon management in the region. Since Indonesia’s
ozone layer protection program began, GMF has been actively involved in phasing
out of ozone-depleting substances. The Indonesian government appointed GMF to
manage the Halon Bank in March of 2000. The Bank has conducted seminars and
workshops for the halon phaseout program and has set up the necessary facility
and equipment to properly identify, store and recycle halons. The Halon Bank has
collected 30,000 kilograms of halon 1301 and 1211 and supplied recycled halon
for critical uses, especially in aircraft maintenance.
The Bank also has shared its
experience in halon management in collaboration with the U. N. Environment
Programme’s Compliance Assistance Programme. As part of the South-South
Cooperation initiatives, in August 2009, representatives of military
organizations and the national ozone offi ces of Sri Lanka and India visited
Garuda Maintenance Facility to learn best practices in halon bank management and
to exchange views on chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and halon phaseout practices in
defense establishments. Additionally, ozone officers from Timor Leste, the
latest party to the Montreal Protocol, visited GMF for benchmarking practices
for halon management.
GMF focuses on the maintenance,
repair, and overhaul of commercial aircraft, components and engines. It
maintains not only the Garuda Fleet and domestic airlines, but also equipment
and aircraft from across Asia and the Pacific region, as well as some from the
Americas, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and Africa.
Giant Eagle, Inc.:
Founded in 1931, Giant Eagle, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest food
retailers and food distributors with approximately $8.2 billion in annual sales.
The company has grown to be the number one supermarket retailer in its region
with 224 supermarkets in addition to 157 fuel and convenience stores throughout
western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland.
Giant Eagle, Inc. has received
the EPA GreenChill Partnership’s Best Emissions Rate Award every year to date.
“Business-as-usual” refrigerant leak rates in the supermarket industry are
estimated at 20-25 percent annually. Giant Eagle’s investment in infrared leak
detection management systems resulted in a corporate-wide refrigerant emissions
rate of 7 percent, transforming industry assumptions about the emissions
reductions that supermarkets can achieve. Giant Eagle continues to design and
build stores to minimize emissions, using well-designed piping arrangements, a
minimum of mechanical joints, low-leakage components, proper pipe supports and
good pressure testing and evacuation procedures. Medium-temperature secondary
loop systems with glycol are now standard in new stores.
Giant Eagle’s effort to reduce
refrigerant emissions resulted in the Giant Eagle Carbon Credit project,
approved by the Voluntary Carbon Standard Association, which was the first of
its kind to be published world-wide
Corporate and Government Awards
- Hill PHOENIX, Inc, USA
- Kraft Foods, USA
- Arysta LifeScience North
America LLC and Research Team, USA
- Husein Ajwa
- Joe Noling
- Dan Chellemi
- Erin Rosskopf
- Greg Browne
- Frank Sances
Association and Team Awards
- Allergy and Asthma Network
Mothers of Asthmatics, USA
- Centre for Environment
Education, India
- Nepali Times
- Secretariat of the Pacific
Regional Environmental Program (SPREP)
Individual Awards
- Pieter J. Aucamp, South
Africa **
- Janet F. Bornman, New
Zealand*
- Christer Carling, Sweden *
- Samira de Gobert, France
- Hideo Mori, Japan *
- Paul Newman, USA **
- Sokharavuth Pak, Cambodia
- Alessandro Giuliano Peru, Italy
- Phyllis Putter, USA
- Dan Reifsnyder, USA
- Shonda Schilling, USA
- Manfred Tevini, Germany
*
- Adyasuren Tsokhio, Mongolia
- You Yizhong, China *
Release date: 05/19/2008
Contact Information: Dave Ryan,
202-564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov
(Washington, D.C. - May 19, 2008)
EPA today honored 39 individuals, organizations and companies from around the
world for their outstanding efforts to protect the Earth's climate and
stratospheric ozone layer. The award recipients have demonstrated ingenuity and
leadership by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, negotiating international
agreements to protect the ozone layer and climate, and spreading awareness about
the importance of these issues.
“Efforts to help restore the ozone layer and fight climate change will benefit
the planet for generations to come,” said Bob Meyers, principal deputy
assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air & Radiation. “We commend
the 2008 Climate and Ozone Layer Protection Award winners for their work to
protect our environment.”
The 2008 Climate Protection Award winners have contributed greatly to scientific
understanding of climate change and its impacts on human health and the
environment. They have also generated on-site wind and solar power, increased
energy efficiency, introduced new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from mining, and slashed the use of potent greenhouse gases.
The 2008 Stratospheric Ozone Layer Protection Award winners have strengthened
the international Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
The Protocol now calls for a faster phase-out of ozone depleting substances
called HCFCs, which are also potent greenhouse gases. The winners are also
responsible for the eliminating ozone-depleting substances in medical,
agricultural, aviation, and shipping applications where alternatives are
difficult to implement.
The 10th annual Climate and Ozone Layer Protection Awards were presented today
at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Since the annual Ozone Layer Protection
Awards began in 1990, EPA has honored 533 recipients from 46 different
countries. EPA began the Climate Protection Awards in 1998 and has so far
recognized 154 recipients from 18 countries for outstanding efforts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
2008 Climate Protection Award Winners:
Advanced Micro Devices, Sunnydale, Calif.
Austin Energy, Austin, Texas
City of Albuquerque, N.M.
Climate Protection Team of Mr. Durwood Zaelke & Mr. Scott Stone, Washington,
DC
Ms. Gay Browne, Montecito, Calif..
Mr. John Morrill, Arlington, Va.
Mr. Kenneth Davis, Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.
Ms. Laura Miller, Dallas
Ms. Laurie David, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Life Cycle Analysis Team of Dr. Stella Papasavva & William R. Hill, Warren,
Mich.
Mr. Marco Gonzalez, Kenya and Costa Rica
MEGTEC Systems, De Pere, Wis.
Ms. Romina Picolotti, Buenos Aries, Argentina
Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, New Delhi, India
Xerox Corporation, Norwalk, Conn.
2008 Ozone Layer Protection Award Winners:
Dr. Husamuddin Ahmadzai, Sweden
Asada Corporation, Japan
Dr. Paul Atkins, Research Triangle Park, N.C.
Kingdom of Bahrain National Ozone Unit, Bahrain
Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme, Australian Quarantine and Inspection
Service, Australia
Chinese Negotiating Team for the 19th Meeting of the Parties, China
Civil Aviation Halon Transition Team, Worldwide
Climate Co-Benefits of the Montreal Protocol Science Team, Netherlands &
United States
Dr. Corrado Clini, Italy
Mr. James Curlin, France
Dr. Arumugam Duraisamy, India
Dr. David Fahey, Boulder, Colo.
Fiji National Ozone Unit, Fiji
Mr. Maas Goote, Netherlands
HCFC Phaseout Acceleration Team, Washington, DC
Mr. Mazen Hussein, Lebanon
Ms. Ana Maria Kleymeyer, Argentina
Dr. Michael Kurylo, Washington, DC
Kuwait National Ozone Committee, Kuwait
Dr. Kazufumi Nishi, Japan
Nordiko Quarantine Systems, Australia
Mr. Sateeaved Seebaluck, Mauritius
Dr. W.L. Sumathipala, Sri Lanka
World Customs Organization, Asia Pacific Capacity Building, Thailand
2008
Stratospheric Ozone Protection Awards
CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENT AWARDS
Asada Corporation
Under Asada Corporation’s
leadership, more than 10,000 air conditioning and refrigeration industry
professionals in Japan, China, Thailand, and Mongolia studied the importance and
necessity of proper refrigerant recovery and recycling to protect the ozone
layer and prevent global warming. In 2005, Asada led the Japanese Refrigerant
Recovery Equipment Product Committee as a vice-chairman and in 2006 was an
active member of the Recovery Promotion Committee and Expert Committee. Due to
these achievements in different aspects, Asada plays a major role in the
reduction of emissions of ozone-depleting substances in Japan. In 1995, Asada
launched the first refrigerant recovery equipment with an oil-free compressor in
Japan. Because of the many and varied needs to properly and effectively recover
refrigerant, Asada has introduced 15 kinds of refrigerant recovery equipment for
almost all types of refrigerants on the market. Asada developed recovery
equipment with different capacities and sizes and weights suitable for small and
large volume users. Making the appropriate equipment available to many more
users has encouraged and enabled them to recover refrigerant more efficiently
and to reduce their operation time and the amount of emissions. Currently, Asada
is the top distributor of refrigerant recovery equipment with a market share of
54% of the Japanese HVAC market. Asada is also instrumental in promoting
reclaiming and has introduced 6 kinds of refrigerant reclaiming equipment. Due
to its recognized contribution to refrigerant recovery, Asada has been granted a
supporting subsidy to help with the development of refrigerant decomposition
equipment.
Australian Fumigation
Accreditation Scheme, Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
Mr. David Cox and the Australian
Quarantine & Inspection Service developed the Australian Fumigation
Accreditation Scheme (AFAS) to minimize methyl bromide use by actively seeking
alternatives and encouraging recycling technologies. Recognizing that
ineffective methyl bromide fumigations performed for quarantine purposes
resulted in increased quarantine risk and unnecessary use of methyl bromide for
re-treatment, they developed the AFAS to assist fumigators in meeting
Australia’s quarantine requirements, and minimise the need for re-treatments.
The AFAS consists of: a training and accreditation system for fumigators and
regulatory officers; a registration system for fumigation providers; acceptance
of fumigation certificates with monitoring, communication and feedback on
performance; and a management system run by overseas quarantine agencies to
ensure continued training, accreditation and compliance of registered fumigation
providers. In this way AFAS provides capacity building assistance for
monitoring, registering and auditing fumigation providers. AFAS enhances the
technical expertise of overseas fumigation providers and regulatory officers,
facilitates export trade and minimizes methyl bromide use. Over the period
2004-2007 AFAS reduced the number of re-fumigations of cargoes originating in
two countries by 47 and 40 percent respectively, eliminating 95 tonnes of methyl
bromide emissions. The amount saved will increase as more countries implement
the AFAS. The AFAS will have global reach. It is operating in Indonesia,
Malaysia, Thailand and India, and in 2008 will reach China, Papua New Guinea and
the Philippines.
Fiji National Ozone
Unit
The Fiji National Ozone Unit (NOU),
under the leadership of Mr. Shakil Kumar, successfully phased-out ozone
depleting substances. The Fiji NOU is a leading example of effective Montreal
Protocol implementation through its strong efforts in establishing proactive
regulation, enforcement of these regulations, support to industry, and a strong
public awareness campaign. The success of the chlorofluorocarbon phaseout in
Fiji relies on strong implementation and enforcement of its regulation. Regular
inspections and audits assist the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry in
complying with the ODS legislation. Fiji’s enforcement efforts have led to the
successful prosecution of a company that violated the ODS legislation. Fiji
established its ODS Act in 1998 and its ODS Regulation in 2000 make it one of
the first Article 5 Parties to achieve advanced CFC phaseout. Fiji has also
collected and disposed of unwanted halon through support from Australia, and has
returned to compliance in methyl bromide use ahead of the agreed phaseout plan.
Following its exemplary record in addressing CFC phaseout, the Fiji NOU is now
turning its focus on hydrochlorofluorocarbon control. In 2007 Fiji became one of
the first Article 5 Parties to impose import quota on HCFC-22. In addition, the
NOU has licensed over 500 technicians and 190 companies to ensure the proper
handling of HCFC and other ODS. Fiji will be starting its HCFC survey in 2008
which will serve as the basis to formulate its HCFC phaseout program.
Kingdom of Bahrain
National Ozone Unit
Bahrain signed the Vienna
convention and Montreal Protocol on April 27, 1990, becoming the first Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) country to do so. Bahrain issued the first legislation
in the GCC countries related to the control of importing, using, licensing and
quota system of ODS in 1999. The Bahrain National Ozone Unit (NOU) implemented
many ozone projects to minimize imports and use of ODS with the cooperation of
implementing agencies, and will phase out CFC consumption by 2010. Bahrain also
participated in the preparation of the Unified Legislation on ODS of the GCC,
which received the Ozone Layer Protection Award in 2007. Bahrain’s NOU was
awarded the Outstanding National Ozone Unit Award in December 2000 from the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in appreciation of its outstanding
efforts to implement the Montreal Protocol, and received the Montreal Protocol
Certificate of Recognition from UNEP in September 2007 for its contributions to
the global effort to protect the ozone layer. The Bahrain NOU is now updating
the adoption of Ministerial Order No. 1 of 1999 with respect to control of ODS
to harmonize the Order with the latest adjustment of the Montreal Protocol
regarding HCFCs. To gain citizen support, the NOU participates in public
awareness campaigns raising awareness of ozone layer destruction and the
importance of the ODS phaseout. To achieve international support, Bahrain’s
NOU participates and contributes in all Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA)
meetings as well as Meetings of the Parties (MOP) and Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG)
meetings.
Kuwait National Ozone
Committee
The National Ozone Committee (NOC)
of Kuwait, under Dr. Saud Al-Rasheed’s leadership, successfully implemented a
national action plan to convert ODS consumer sectors to ozone-friendly
technologies on a voluntary basis. The Kuwait NOC also assisted the Environment
Public Authority in enacting national regulations that shift ODS-based
industries to alternatives and ban import of ODS-based equipment. Kuwait’s
unique licensing system requires special permission before the opening of any
banking Letter of Credit to import ODS, even if the importer is licensed to do
so and has thus enforced stronger control and monitoring of ODS consumption.
These regulations are supported by awareness campaigns to ensure all
stakeholders to effectively carry out their roles to fulfill Montreal Protocol
obligations. As a result, Kuwait’s ODS consumption decreased 91%, from 4068
ODP-tonnes in 1986 to 349 ODP-tonnes in 2002. Kuwait also organized training
programs for customs authorities and refrigerant services sectors and raised
awareness among the public. The training program succeeded in establishing good
communication channels with customs authorities and combating illegal trade, and
Kuwait seized more than ten shipments of illegal ODS in 2005. The increase of
CFC prices in Kuwait compared to neighboring countries indicates the
effectiveness of the licensing system and the success of the customs training
program. Kuwait enhanced the September 2007 adjustments to the HCFC phaseout
schedule through Decision XIX/8, which requests that the TEAP address HCFC
alternatives with reference to specific climatic conditions and unique operating
conditions such as those experienced in Kuwait and the surrounding region.
Nordiko Quarantine
Systems
Nordiko Quarantine Systems has
developed an innovative and economical process to recover methyl bromide from
shipping containers. Rather than being emitted to the atmosphere, methyl bromide
from shipping containers is effectively and cheaply recaptured, and sent to a
facility for safe destruction. This technology has the potential to make a
significant contribution to the minimization of methyl bromide emissions
worldwide. Given the ongoing need for methyl bromide for quarantine and
pre-shipment applications and the consequent global increase in its use for
these purposes, there is an urgent need to develop and implement effective
emission minimization strategies. The Nordiko Quarantine Systems technology is
relatively inexpensive and easy to utilize. As well as obvious environmental and
occupational health and safety benefits, by allowing the accelerated movement of
shipping containers, it can also deliver significant economic benefits. Nordiko
has been successfully working with the Belgian Government where it has a number
of facilities in operation recapturing methyl bromide prior to its safe
destruction. The company is currently working with Australian state and Federal
governments examining the feasibility of utilizing the technology in Australian
ports and other facilities.
ASSOCIATION AND TEAM AWARDS
Chinese Negotiating
Team to the 19th Meeting of the Parties of the Montreal Protocol
Mr. Wurui Wen and Ms. Mengheng Zhang demonstrated outstanding insights in
negotiating, on behalf of China, the HCFC adjustments in the 19th Meeting of the
Parties to the Montreal Protocol. They realized themselves, and convinced other
developing countries, that the proposed HCFC control measures further protected
the ozone layer and provided significant climate benefits without affecting the
sustainable growth of their economy. China is the largest manufacturer and
consumer of HCFCs. Wurui Wen and Mengheng Zhang worked from a position of
personal strength, business facts, and environmental perspective. To protect the
interests of developing countries, they advanced the need for developed
countries to reduce further their own HCFC use and emissions; that the
Multilateral Fund (MLF) be available to assist with transition; and that
technology for alternatives to HCFCs is made available too under fair and
favorable terms. They persuaded many delegations to work cooperatively to
agree at that meeting to the revised HCFC control measures and to include in the
text of the decision an agreement to promote the selection of alternatives to
HCFCs that minimize environmental impacts, in particular impacts on climate, as
well as meeting other health, safety and economic considerations and to allow
for a possible future contemplation of HCFC essential use for specific
applications. Through their hard work, the final agreement was stringent,
fair, technically feasible, and poised for strengthening as markets are
transformed to better environmental and public health protection.
Team Members:
- Mr. Wurui Wen
- Ms. Mengheng Zhang
Civil Aviation Halon
Transition Team
This team’s effort ensures an
end to reliance on halons in civil aircraft. Concerned that uncertainties in
availability and quality of halons, worldwide aircraft production growth, and
lag in adoption of substitutes may leave the civil aviation sector unprepared,
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Ozone Secretariat and the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Secretary General inspired team
members to go before the ICAO General Assembly to request they approve a mandate
that halon alternatives be introduced within the next few years. Duncan Monaco,
ICAO, was able to persuasively raise the urgency of this as an agenda item for
the ICAO Assembly, moving consideration of the issue from 2010 to 2007. With
ICAO support, Jennifer Arquilla and Lauren Inman from the U.S. Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), the UNEP Halons Technical Options Committee, and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency developed a U.S. Working Paper for the Assembly.
The Paper’s recommendations, which the Assembly adopted, address the use of
halon alternatives for new aircraft designs and for those already in production.
This was made possible by validation testing of halon alternatives against new
standards under leadership of FAA’s Technical Center. In accordance with the
Assembly resolution, ICAO is making changes to its Standards and Recommended
Practices to require halon alternatives in lavatories and hand-held
extinguishers for new production aircraft and in new designs, and for engine
nacelles and auxiliary power units in new designs. This effort places the
aviation industry with other halon users who overcame significant technical
challenges in the search for alternatives that protect the public and the
environment.
Team Members:
- Badrul Chowdhury
- Mr. Marco González, Executive
Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Ozone Secretariat
- Dr. Taïb Chérif, Secretary
General, ICAO
- Mr. J. Duncan Monaco,
Secretariat, ICAO
- Mrs. Nagwa el Aasar, Former
Secretary of the Airworthiness Panel (retired), ICAO
- Mr. David V. Catchpole,
Co-Chair, UNEP Halons Technical Options Committee
- Dr. Daniel P. Verdonik,
Co-Chair, UNEP Halons Technical Options Committee
- Mr. Thomas A Cortina, Expert
Advisor, UNEP Halons Technical Options Committee
- Ms. Bella Maranion, Member,
UNEP Halons Technical Options Committee
- Mr. Andrew B. Steinberg,
Formerly Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, U.S.
Department of Transportation (DoT)
- Mr. Nicholas A. Sabatini,
Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, FAA
- Mr. John Hickey, Director,
Aircraft Certification Service, FAA
- Ms. Jennifer Arquilla,
International Policy Office, Aircraft Certification Service (ACS), FAA
- Ms. Lauren Inman, Formerly of
the International Policy Office, ACS, FAA
- Mr. Stephen Happenny,
Transport Airplane Directorate, ACS, FAA
- Mr. Richard Hill & Mr.
Constantine (Gus) Sarkos, Aviation Research & Technology Development
Office, Airport and Aircraft Safety Group, FAA Technical Center
- Mr. James Filippatos,
Assistant Administrator for International Aviation, FAA
Climate Co-Benefits
of the Montréal Protocol Science Team
Drs. Guus Velders, Stephen O.
Andersen, John Daniel, David Fahey, and Mack McFarland made a significant
contribution to global environmental protection by publishing a groundbreaking
paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences 
titled The Importance of the Montreal Protocol in Protecting the Climate.
The paper calculates the benefits to the climate from citizen action and the
Montreal Protocol in phasing out ozone-depleting substances that are also
powerful greenhouse gases. This team of scientists estimates that between 1990
and 2010 the Montreal Protocol will avoid roughly 5-6 times the emissions
reductions required during the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
They calculate that Montreal Protocol emission reduction delays climate change
by 7-12 years. They show that without the Montreal Protocol, the catastrophic
impacts predicted by the IPCC and other scientists would be encountered far
sooner. This news energized Parties to the Protocol to go even further by
accelerating the HCFC phaseout. Perhaps more importantly, their findings are
motivating scientists and policymakers to look more closely at other greenhouse
gases not yet globally controlled and to consider the Montreal Protocol as a
model for hybrid climate regulation, incorporating the success of chemical
phaseout and financial assistance of incremental costs. This team reminds us
that individuals can make a difference, that confident action can succeed under
multilateral agreements like the Montreal Protocol, and that ground-breaking
science can guide successful policies.
Team Members:
- Dr. Guus Velders
- Dr. Stephen O. Andersen
- Dr. John Daniel
- Dr. David Fahey
- Dr. Mack McFarland
HCFC Phaseout
Acceleration Team
Over the past two years
(2005-2007), Mr. Durwood Zaelke and Mr. Scott Stone have raised awareness among
environmental leaders of the need to accelerate the HCFC phaseout to ensure the
continued success of the Montreal Protocol. Zaelke and Stone traveled across the
world to meet with government and industry officials to build support for
tighter control measures on HCFC production and consumption. In particular, they
worked closely as informal advisors to several of the Parties who submitted
proposals to the Ozone Secretariat calling for an accelerated phaseout of HCFCs.
They co-authored several influential articles on the accelerated HCFC phaseout,
including Strengthening the Montreal Protocol: Insurance Against Abrupt
Climate Change, and the paper, Frequently Asked Questions:
Strengthening the Montreal Protocol by Accelerating the Phaseout of HCFCs at the
20th Anniversary Meeting of the Parties. These papers were cited by many as
instrumental in the run-up to the 19th Meeting of the Parties of the Montreal
Protocol in making the case for the need to accelerate the phaseout of HCFCs.
The historic agreement by the Parties to strengthen the phaseout of HCFCs will
ensure the continued success of the Montreal Protocol in protecting the ozone
layer, and Zaelke and Stone’s efforts played an important role in this triumph
of international environmental law.
Team Members:
- Mr. Durwood Zaelke
- Mr. Scott Stone
World Customs
Organization, Asia Pacific Capacity Building Office
Regional cooperation and
capacity-building for enforcement officers plays a very important role in
reducing the illegal ODS trade. Since July 2005, Ms. Yoko Odashima and the
Regional Office for Capacity Building for the Asia and the Pacific (ROCB A/P)
have established a close relationship with the UNEP Regional Office for Asia and
the Pacific (ROAP) to help to meet their Montreal Protocol obligations. Their
mandate is to enhance customs officers’ knowledge, skill and techniques for
efficient and effective customs control in the Asia Pacific region, including
reducing the illegal trafficking of ODS. To further this goal, they have
promoted awareness raising and capacity building on environmental protection
among customs administrations in the region. They are mainstreaming ODS issues
in their work program and capacity building activities, for example, including
environment issues in the regular customs-training curriculum. An important
activity of ROCB A/P is organizing training courses on the Harmonized System
codes and how to share the information through the network. ROCB A/P has invited
UNEP to attend regional training meetings. This presented an important avenue
for awareness raising at high level of customs, through activities such as the
Green Customs Initiative, Project Sky Hole Patching and the enforcement
networking. ROCB A/P has also been contributing to the workshops organized by
UNEP and by Green Customs Initiative. They proposed and co-organized the Green
Customs Workshop for the Greater Mekong Sub-region in September 2007.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Dr. Husamuddin
Ahmadzai
Dr. Husamuddin Ahmadzai has been an active and distinguished participant in
the worldwide efforts to protect the ozone layer for the past 20 years. As an
effective and well respected delegate for the Government of Sweden, member and
Vice Chair of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal
Protocol, and a member of the Montreal Protocol’s Technology and Economic
Assessment Panel (TEAP), Husamuddin Ahmadzai has played an important role in the
continuing efforts to strengthen the Montreal Protocol and protect the ozone
layer. When the agreement was reached in Montreal at the 19th MOP, it was in no
small part thanks to the leadership, enthusiasm, and dedication of Dr.
Husamuddin Ahmadzai. His efforts have ensured that the Montreal Protocol’s 20
years of inspiring success as an international environmental treaty will
continue into the next 20 years, and beyond.
Dr. Paul Atkins
Dr. Paul J. Atkins has made
extraordinary contributions to the phaseout of CFC metered dose inhalers (MDIs).
He is recognized as an international expert on CFC-free MDIs and dry powder
inhalers (DPIs). In his professional roles he was responsible for
GlaxoSmithKline’s formulation development activities on alternative
hydrofluorocarbon MDIs in the United States, and later for global planning and
introduction of GSK’s HFC MDIs, helping drive GSK’s aggressive corporate
transition strategy. He was also responsible for development programs for
certain novel technologies and for DPIs, as alternatives to CFC MDIs. As Founder
and Chief Executive Officer of Oriel Therapeutics Inc., Paul Atkins has devoted
his company to the development of active powder delivery devices as a new
generation of environmentally friendly inhalers. Since 1996, Paul Atkins has
been a highly valued member of the Medical Technical Options Committee. His
outstanding contributions, leadership, professional integrity, and independent
advice, have had a major influence on the high standard and technical
reliability of MTOC’s reports. He has contributed to over 18 TEAP/TOC reports
and numerous TEAP Task Forces. He served as co-chair of the medical aerosols
chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change/TEAP Special Report on
Safeguarding the Ozone Layer and the Global Climate System. Paul Atkins has
acted as technical advisor to the Multilateral Fund Secretariat and United
Nations Development Programme’s Ozone Unit. He gives his time generously, very
often voluntarily and without financial reward. His enthusiasm and leadership
have made him a critical contributor to the success of the Montreal Protocol.
Dr. Corrado Clini
Dr. Corrado Clini engaged
personally in solving the issue of Italy’s non compliance related to CFC
production for non-Article 5 countries, though it was an issue outside the
purview of his Ministry. He worked with the Parliament to solve the outstanding
contribution of $60 million to the Multilateral Fund, while devoting $10 million
from his Department’s budget to work toward a final solution. The policies and
measures he has promoted for implementing the Montreal Protocol at the
national and international level rely upon replicability and long-term
sustainability. For example, Italy has phased out 80% of the total halon banked
14 months in advance of the European Regulation 2037/2000 and reduced the list
of 14 critical uses to just 3. All this has been done through economic
incentives and agreements with private companies with the full participation of
all stakeholders. Italy alone has phased out more than 25% of the total European
stock of halon. In the 1990s, Italy, due to its intensive horticultural
production, ranked first in methyl bromide use in Europe and second in the
world. Therefore, reducing the usage of methyl bromide without affecting its
agriculture was a challenge that Italy pursued with the full involvement of
public and private sector under the guidance of Dr. Clini and his staff.
Extensive cooperation with fumigation companies allowed them to provide growers
with a range of methods for soil disinfestations. The adoption of the different
available alternatives permitted a strong decrease in methyl bromide
consumption.
Mr. James Curlin
Jim Curlin has tirelessly and
humbly worked for almost 20 years to inform the ozone community and to educate
the world about solving the threat to the world's ozone layer. Behind the
scenes, and with little fanfare, Mr. Curlin has led efforts to create well
edited, visually inviting and informative documents. In some cases these
documents have highlighted general ozone layer protection activities around the
globe. Mr. Curlin was intimately involved for more than a decade in the
publication and dissemination of the Ozone Action Newsletter. In other cases, he
has participated actively in creating technical reference documents that have
assisted national ozone units, government officials, such as customs ministries,
as well as users of ozone-depleting chemicals in industrial sectors. The work on
these technical documents has involved gathering information and coordinating
input from scientific, technological and policy experts from around the world to
produce the best available information that have guided countless users in the
phaseout of ozone-depleting substances.
Dr. Arumugam
Duraisamy
Dr. A. Duraisamy has been working
as Director of India’s National Ozone Unit since November, 2004. During this
period, he developed and implemented regulatory and fiscal measures,
implemented, monitored and evaluated ODS phase-out projects, disseminated
information and created awareness. He took initiative to start implementation of
the National Carbon tetrachloride (CTC) Phase-out Plan and the National CFC
Consumption Phase-out Plan in the year 2005. Dr. Duraisamy has also contributed
significantly towards strengthening the regulatory frame work for the
implementation of Montreal Protocol in India. Under his initiative, the Ozone
Depleting Substances Rules were fully reviewed and amended to make them more
compatible with the requirements of Montreal Protocol. He placed emphasis on
measures to check illegal trade in ODSs. He has implemented the policy and
customs project in which more than 200 customs and state Government officers
were trained. Dr. Duraisamy has participated in various Montreal Protocol
meetings and contributed to important decisions including those on stockpiling
and HCFC accelerated phase-out. His participation at these meetings facilitated
negotiations on technical input for the replenishment of the Multilateral Fund
for 2006-2008. Important milestones of 85% reduction in CFC and CTC production
and consumption targets were achieved during 2005-2007. The Country Program
Update was also prepared in 2006 under his initiative. During his Directorship,
18th Meeting of the Parties, 50th Meeting of the Executive Committee and its
related meetings were organized in 2006 at New Delhi, India and made the event
most successful. India received the Best Implementers Award on the occasion of
20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol in September, 2007 under the
leadership of Dr. Duraisamy. In addition to this, his support to industries for
phasing out the ODSs has been recognized through the Montreal Protocol Exemplary
Project Recognition Awards.
Dr. David Fahey
Dr. David W. Fahey is a Research
Physicist in the Chemical Sciences Division, with the United States National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory.
His research includes the design and operation of ground-based and airborne
instrumentation for atmospheric measurements of ozone-depleting substances, and
the interpretation of observations of long-lived and reactive species in the
upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. His interpretative studies have
addressed many aspects of stratospheric ozone depletion and the impact of
aviation on ozone and climate. He has served on a number of airborne sampling
missions with the United States National Aeronautics and Space
Administration’s high-altitude aircraft and in several international
scientific assessments of ozone depletion and climate. Dr. Fahey was the lead
author of "Twenty Questions and Answers About the Ozone Layer” for both
the 2002 and 2006 Update of the Montreal Protocol’s Science Assessment Report.
Published as a separate booklet, this chapter is particularly useful as a means
of communicating important information between the scientific community and
educators, students, the general public, and decision makers. The questions and
answers address a variety of topics including the nature of atmospheric ozone,
the chemicals that cause ozone depletion, how ozone depletion occurs, and what
the future holds for the ozone layer. Both brief answers and expanded
explanations are included for each topic. In addition, Dr. David Fahey is being
recognized as part of the Climate Co-Benefits of the Montreal Protocol Team for
the paper titled The Importance of the Montreal Protocol in Protecting the
Climate.
Mr. Maas Goote
Maas Goote demonstrated
extraordinary leadership in building a global consensus to accelerate the
phaseout of HCFCs under the Montreal Protocol. For the past several years, Mr.
Goote has distinguished himself as an energetic and visionary member of The
Netherlands’ delegation to treaty conferences. He was chosen to serve as the
co-chair of the contact group that negotiated the accelerated phaseout of HCFCs.
Presiding over the contact group presented significant challenges for Goote,
including how to ensure that the new control measures for developed and
developing countries remained consistent with the principle of common but
differentiated responsibilities. Mr. Goote also was tasked with the challenge of
building a consensus on how the adjustment decision would capture the potential
climate benefits of an accelerated HCFC phaseout. In 2007, nine countries
submitted proposals to accelerate the phaseout of HCFCs – all proposals
included provisions maximizing the climate benefits of the accelerated phaseout.
The adjustment represents a historic achievement in international environmental
law. The final result reflected Goote’s sophisticated diplomatic skills and
his technical knowledge of the Montreal Protocol.
Mr. Mazen K. Hussein
Since its inception nine years
ago, the National Ozone Unit of Lebanon headed by Mazen K. Hussein has
introduced and overseen implementation of a comprehensive ODS elimination and
compliance strategy. What makes the efforts of the NOU stand out, is the gusto,
based on the recognition of the importance of building understanding, with which
it introduced and sustained its national ODS awareness and outreach program.
Working with over 100 enterprises that had benefited from Multilateral Fund
conversion projects, the NOU launched a creative quid pro quo initiative. The
NOU convinced private sector partners to join in a national partnership to
support the ongoing national efforts to preserve the ozone layer. This private
sector co-financing of the national ODS awareness program allowed for the mass
production and wide dissemination across the Lebanese territory of targeted
awareness materials. Educational booklets, brochures, flyers, posters,
billboards, TV spots, field campaigns, documentaries, awareness tool kits, and a
Best Poster and Best Article contest reached out to students, technical and
professional groups, and the public at large. For every $1 that was invested in
the national awareness program through the project, the NOU was able to mobilize
$1.2 from the private sector, raising $120,000 between 1998 and 2006. This
remarkable contribution has helped Lebanon consistently, and in the face of
political instability, maintain a steady decrease in ODS consumption. These
efforts were recognized by the Ozone Secretariat with the "Best
Implementers Award” on the Occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Montreal
Protocol.
Ms. Ana Maria
Kleymeyer
As the Government of
Argentina’s lead negotiator, Ana Maria Kleymeyer devoted her vast energies,
legal and diplomatic expertise, and creative spirit to the recent landmark
agreement under the Montreal Protocol to accelerate the phase-out schedule for
HCFCs. Argentina, with Brazil, was one of the nine Parties to submit proposals
to the Ozone Secretariat in March of 2007 to adjust the Montreal Protocol to
avoid the alarming increases in HCFC production and consumption projected for
the next decade and beyond. Ms. Kleymeyer was a leading and active voice in
drawing attention to the threat to the ozone layer from rising HCFC production
and consumption, and to the Montreal Protocol’s history of effectiveness. In
so doing, she sustained the long tradition of excellence and leadership of
Argentina on ozone protection. She became a strong advocate of the important air
quality and climate co-benefits of phasing out HCFCs, which for developing
countries means transition to advanced, and energy efficient air conditioning
and refrigeration equipment as well as sustained competitiveness in export
markets in developed countries that have largely made the transition out of
HCFCs. Ms. Kleymeyer played an important role in linking the efforts of
Argentina with those of Brazil, another Party with a history of strong
leadership on stratospheric ozone issues. She worked diligently at the 19th
Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, where the HCFC agreement was
negotiated, to help coordinate positions among developing country Parties and
represent their concerns in the contact group and negotiating sessions, as well
as forging strategic consensus with developed country parties.
Dr. Michael Kurylo
Dr. Michael Kurylo is an
extraordinary scientist who was largely responsible for conceiving and executing
airborne stratospheric expeditions that linked CFCs to ozone depletion in both
the Antarctic and Arctic. He is a world-class expert in photochemistry and
kinetics of the stratosphere and upper troposphere and the impact of changes
there on the underlying troposphere and on global climate. He was a member of
the International Ozone Trends Panel that persuaded DuPont to announce the
abandonment of CFCs, which stimulated the rapid development and implementation
of alternatives. Dr. Kurylo integrated chemistry findings over the Polar Regions
from aircraft-based in situ measurements with the global pictures of ozone and
other atmospheric molecules from research satellites to forecast the future
evolution of ozone in the stratosphere. This was the basis for predicting how
ozone responds to the decreasing atmospheric levels of halocarbons, resulting
from the implementation of the Montreal Protocol. One example of the confidence
and influence of Dr. Kurylo in persuading action on stratospheric ozone is the
1994 quote from the Guardian saying: "Everyone should be alarmed about
this...Even if CFCs were phased out at once, it would take until 2060 or 2070 to
restore the ozone layer to health - this legacy will be with us for a long
time." Thanks to the research and influence of Dr. Kurylo, the world is now
working to meet that date for ozone layer recovery.
Dr. Kazufumi Nishi
Dr. Kazufumi Nishi has researched hot water treatment for soil sterilization and
made an effort to penetrate this treatment in the tomato, melon and other
various fruit vegetable crop areas where substitutes for methyl bromide are
not found effective to control soil pathogen, bacteria and nematode due to
Japan’s consecutive cultivation practices. In this treatment, hot water at the
temperature of more than 90 centigrade is applied to fields to make 30-40 cm
deep soil temperature rise to 55 centigrade. All soil pests are killed by this
treatment and crop vigor is improved. Methyl bromide for tomato production is
not currently used at all in Japan and some alternatives are applied so that
methyl bromide for critical use exemption is not nominated for tomato
production. Hot water treatment has not necessarily been applied to all tomato
production areas; however, this technology is employed in fields where crops
could be severely infected by soil pests. This technology is one of the most
useful methods for some fruit and vegetable production. Due to his efforts to
expand the use of this technology, it has gradually penetrated many regions of
tomato production in Japan. Kazufumi Nishi also worked for the Methyl Bromide
Technical Options Committee from 2004 to 2007 as an expert in soil pest
sterilization for fruit vegetable production and devoted his time to review
critical use nominations.
Mr. Sateeaved
Seebaluck
Sateeaved Seebaluck has represented Mauritius at Montreal Protocol meetings for
20 years; served on TEAP; co-chaired the Open-Ended Working Group in 1996;
participated in important international environmental treaties; and has been a
valued member of the Multilateral Fund’s Executive Committee. He provides
highly valued and trusted perspectives on international environmental law and
diplomacy. Under his leadership, Mauritius was one of the first Article 5
countries to introduce legislation for the licensing of ozone-depleting
substances, and completed its domestic phaseout of CFCs in 2005, five years
ahead of schedule. Mauritius is also set to phase out methyl bromide completely
by the end of 2007. Most recently, Mr. Seebaluck demonstrated extraordinary
leadership on behalf of Mauritius, Small Island Developing States, and the
Africa Group, in negotiating new control measures for HCFCs at the Montreal
Protocol Meeting of the Parties in September, 2007. In fulfilling these
responsibilities, he was keenly attuned to the concerns of this broad and
diverse array of countries. In particular, developing countries had expressed
great concern over the availability of substitutes for HCFCs and the importance
of securing new, additional financial assistance to ensure compliance with any
new HCFC control measures. Mr. Seebaluck ably and competently expressed these
concerns at the negotiations, and succeeded in including appropriate language in
the adjustment decision to address them. This accomplishment is part of the long
and distinguished involvement with the Montreal Protocol of Mr. Sateeaved
Seebaluck.
Dr. W.L. Sumathipala
Dr. W. L. Sumathipala, the Ozone
Officer of Sri Lanka, has over the last 14 years worked extensively through
dedicated efforts, leadership and innovative approaches on Montreal-Protocol
activities. Through his systematic project implementation and monitoring, Sri
Lanka has reduced consumption of ODSs by 72% and 80% in 2006 and 2007
respectively. While implementing activities, he has used innovative and
first-of-its-kind awareness approaches which have helped in greater outreach of
ODS phaseout activities. He was instrumental in preparing one of the first
accelerated phaseout program for ODS consumption through a multi-stakeholder
consultative process, in cooperation with Government of Japan, UNDP and UNEP-CAP
team in Bangkok. Through this, consumption of CFCs and Halons are phased out in
2008; two years ahead of Montreal-Protocol commitments. He has helped capacity
building of Ozone Officers on Montreal-Protocol implementation in Maldives,
Mongolia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bhutan. This has helped these countries
expedite implementation of ODS phaseout activities and address risks of
potential non-compliance with Montreal-Protocol. He was a member of the
Implementation-Committee and Executive-Committee, and represented Sri Lanka in
OEWG and MOP. He co-chaired the contact group on methyl bromide in 2005 and was
instrumental in organizing the 13th MOP, in Colombo, 2001.
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