The environment ministry of Seychelles is conducting a statewide survey to estimate the annual importation of refrigerating gases.
This is to prepare for the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in January 2025, as mandated by the Kigali Schedule of the Montreal Protocol. The government will be able to identify the essential players when a quota system for the distribution of HFCs starts in 2025.
Stakeholders utilizing the HFCs will be phased down and given priority due to the survey, which began on February 15.
However, about 120 days will pass before the survey is finished. Inese Chang-Waye, a senior ozone officer at the Ministry of the Environment, told reporters on Monday that Seychelles has until 2023 or 2024 to identify its key stakeholders and determine how much gas they consume annually.
"We know the types of equipment and gas entering the nation and their annual total. This is because we have two key players for the two main economic pillars: fishing and tourism. But, according to Chang-Waye, "We don't know how much of each gas they use annually.
HFCs are commonly utilized in air conditioning and refrigeration. Therefore, HFCs contribute to global warming even if they do not deplete the ozone layer.
"R134A is a gas that is frequently used in freezers in Seychelles.
They are incredibly high when we compute their GWP (Global Warming Potential), equivalent to CO2. For example, R134A has a GWP of 1430 compared to carbon dioxide. R410A, which has a GWP of 2088, is another one utilized in air conditioning systems.
According to Chang-Waye, we can visualize how much global warming these gases can produce if they leak from this machinery.
The poll will also focus on significant structures for public and private organizations. While HFCs for retail are regulated at the importer level, households will not be considered.
"Since we have this knowledge, we can establish them as priorities, and when the phase-down process begins, the two sectors will be at the top of the list. The maximum percentage will be allotted to that stakeholder once we can determine how much of this gas the industry uses each year, "Chang-Waye stated.
She added that individuals who cannot transition due to the condition of their building's infrastructure or equipment would be given priority in the allocation process.
In addition, contractors will be informed of the types of gases they can bring for the air-conditioning systems when planning new structures to exclude them from the allocation.
The survey will also need to establish the rate of leakage, which is another element.
"Following the survey, there will be stakeholder workshops where we will learn which new laws need to be passed or where adjustments need to be made. For example, we changed the rules five times in 2021.
We will know from the survey whether we need to increase the taxes on gases with high GWP to deter people from bringing them in or to lower the levies on some gases to encourage people to import more of them.
We must determine the types and amounts of gases used in the various sectors, "Chang-Waye added. Following the Kigali Amendment, enacted in October 2016, countries agreed to reduce HFC production and consumption over 30 years.
The United Nations Treaty Collection says that on August 20, 2019, Seychelles adopted the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on things that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
The overall amount of HFCs consumed by Seychelles must be phased down by roughly 10% between 2025 and 2029 and by as much as 80% by 2045.
