National Ozone Unit and GIZ launches “Cool Contributions fighting Climate Change” (C4) Project

GRENADA FIGHTS CLIMATE CHANGE

Banner of the ICCAS programme; Photo: ICCAS/GIZ

Tropical storms, floods and rising sea levels threaten the Caribbean island country of Grenada, one of the developing countries deeply affected by the impacts of climate change. Hurricane ‘Matthew’ that severely stroke Haiti in September 2016 left Grenada untroubled. But damages from extreme weather events like in 2004 and 2005 are still visible. The rising sea level is also leading to an erosion of coastlines while hurricanes regularly devastate crucial infrastructure, also disrupting the water supply. The consequences – growing periods of dry spells – have been catastrophic for the people of Grenada.

Since 2012 the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUB) supports the project ‘Integrated Climate Change Adaptation Strategies (ICCAS)’ through its International Climate Initiative (IKI). It has been fostering the island state of Grenada in enhancing the resilience of the population and ecosystems that are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In October 2016, the Government of Grenada held its final consultation for developing a National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (NAP). Following 9 sector-specific consultations throughout 2015/2016, 67 stakeholders from various sectors gathered again to finalize the draft NAP. The NAP process was originally created by the United Nations as an opportunity for countries to plan for robust, sustainable development in the face of climate stress.

In addition, regional representatives from the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center, Jamaica as well as donors attended the national consultation to share their experience and to learn from Grenada’s NAP process. The NAP Global Network, a forum which aims to facilitate international peer learning and exchange, also attended. Its Caribbean lead Alec Crawford commented “While each country’s NAP process is unique, we’re seeing exciting shared lessons emerge about how countries can create and implement these plans to prepare for climate change impacts. Grenada is a very active member of our network, engaging with international peers like Jamaica, Albania and the Philippines to identify its own adaptation path while becoming a regional NAP leader.”

Another effort of the ICCAS project was the official commissioning of the first community based rainwater harvesting system for the local population. With the system a more reliable water supply and improved hygienic conditions can be secured. This offers a new possibility for water production and supply on the islands Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

The ICCAS Programme is funded with € 5.2 million by the BMUB as part of its IKI. The pilot programme is implemented jointly by the Environment Division of the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Development and the Environment, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

A different approach to fight climate change was taken by another IKI project ‘Cool Contributions fighting Climate Change (C4)’. The project’s aim is to reduce and avoid the annual consumption of climate-damaging F-gases. These fluorinated greenhouse gases are used for cooling and air-conditioning and it is estimated that the annual consumption of F-gases will quadruple by 2030.

Participants of the workshop on green cooling in Grenada; Photo: GIZ

For that reason, policy makers, industry representatives and stakeholders from the cooling and climate change sectors in Grenada came together on a day in September for a project inception workshop on green cooling and its relevance for climate change. During the Workshop, the participants together with representatives from the implementing agency, the GIZ, discussed opportunities and challenges of including the refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) sector into Grenada’s nationally determined contributions (NDCs) as part of the international climate negotiations. This global project is supported with € 4.7 million through the IKI of the BMUB.

Grenada will benefit directly from the project through the establishment of a detailed inventory of the RAC sector, a set of policy briefs and recommendations for the key policymakers involved in developing the national mitigation strategy to assist them in maximizing the climate mitigation potential in the RAC sector.
Both projects contribute to the implementation of Grenada’s nationally determined contributions.

NATIONAL OZONE UNIT (NOU) STAGES NATIONAL CONSULTATION ON KIGALI AMENDMENT

NATIONAL OZONE UNIT STAGES NATIOONAL CONSULTATION ON KIGALI AMENDMENT

 Wednesday October 26^th, 2016: The National Ozone Unit, Energy Division, Ministry of Finance and Energy conducted a half day consultation to update stakeholders of the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) Sector in Grenada on the recently approved Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

This landmark agreement that addresses the phase down of production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) –a group of potent green-house gases, used mainly as a refrigerant in the RAC sector was adopted during the early morning of October 15^th, 2016, at the recently held 28^th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol held in Kigali, Rwanda from October 10^th-16^th, 2016.

At the consultation held at the Ministry of Finance and Energy, the National Ozone Officer, Mr. Leslie Smith, presented to the stakeholders on the outcome of the Kigali Meeting; the key elements of the Amendment and the implications for low volume consuming (LVC) countries such as Grenada.

Among the stakeholders present were representatives from the Grenada Refrigeration Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA), importers of RAC refrigerants and equipment, Customs Officers, T A Marryshow Community College (TAMCC), Trade Officials, the Grenada Bureau of Standards (GDBS) and the National Climate Change Committee (NCCC).

Mr. Smith in his presentation updated the stakeholders on the new procedures adopted for baseline consumption calculation, the freeze date and the HFC phase down obligations for Grenada and other developing countries. In the case of Grenada he outlined that the baseline would be calculated on the average consumption of HFC’s for the years 2020-2022 plus 65% of the HCFC baseline. The freeze year is 2024 and the phase down steps would be to reduce consumption to 90% of the baseline by January 1, 2029, 70% by 2035, 50% by 2040 and 20% by 2045 and thereafter.

The current consumption trend for HFCs for Grenada shows year on year increases. Mr. Smith also discussed the relationship of the Amendment with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol as well and the flexibility by which parties can operate. Further, he informed that the amendment is due to enter into force on January 1, 2019.

During the discussion with the stakeholders of the implications of the Amendment for Grenada, a number of issues were highlighted. Among them were:

• The need to impose import restrictions for HFC and HFC based equipment;
• The need to update national legislation to include regulations on HFC control measures;
• Additional training and capacity building for the RAC technicians;
• Availability and cost of alternative low GWP alternatives for all applications;
• Increase awareness and educational activities;
• Establishment of an incentive regime and;
• Development of standards for the RAC sector particularly to address flammable and toxic refrigerants

These issues and other will be addressed in moving forward with a planned program of activities to address the phase down of HFCs