Speaking at the workshop , George Chaumba , Zimbabwe ’ s national ozone project manager in the ministry of environment , climate , tourism and hospitality , said certification would lead to regional compliance and the promotion of ease of doing business .

He led an interactive discussion on the expectations of National Ozone Units ( NOUs ) and their working relationship with RAC associations in the context of the Montreal Protocol and its amendments , to achieve shared environmental goals .

NOUs are the government units in developing countries that are responsible for managing their national programmes to comply with the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer . Each developing country has an NOU that is supported by the Multilateral Fund through an institutional strengthening project .

NOU ’ s wide-ranging responsibilities including overseeing the national compliance strategy , collecting and reporting data ,

monitoring and facilitating national projects approved by the Multilateral Fund , developing and enforcing policies and legislation , coordinating with other government ministries as well as the implementing agencies , interacting with industry and civil society and undertaking public awareness activities .

NOUs are led by ozone officers who are in the ‘ driver ’ s seat ’ of the Montreal Protocol process at the national level , and they are the focal points for implementation issues related to this multilateral environmental agreement .

Chaumba acknowledged that the roles of NOUs may vary from country to country and asked the various national RAC heads to share their understanding of their relationships regarding NOUs . The Namibian representative , Parostus Nepolo , responded : " In Namibia , the RAC is spending over 70 % of its time working closely with the NOUs .”

“ The NOUs are tasked with implementing and enforcing the regulations that help us meet the targets set by the Montreal Protocol ," he explained . " They are essentially the government ' s representatives , responsible for ensuring that we , as industrial players with the technical knowhow , adhere to these standards and contribute to the global effort ." The representatives from South Africa and Lesotho expressed their agreement . The eSwatini representative said , " Compliance means adhering to legal obligations , whether they are government regulations or international agreements . It is about following established rules , and if you fail to do so , you are in violation . The NOUs ensure that

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A group photo of the delegates attending .

countries adhere to the provisions of the Montreal Protocol ."

Chaumba further elaborated on how compliance with the Montreal Protocol is crucial not only for protecting the ozone layer but also for addressing global climate change . " The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol has introduced the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons ( HFCs ), which are potent greenhouse gases contributing to global warming ," he said .

The conversation highlighted the key role of RAC associations in supporting the work of the NOUs . Chaumba emphasised that associations must assist in various areas , such as training and certification , to ensure that practitioners are well-equipped to handle refrigerants responsibly . “ In my country , there was supposed to be a training session

on the use of recovery machines , but only two people showed up . This is an issue we face ,” Chumba shared . He emphasised the need for better engagement from industry professionals to attend training sessions aimed at refrigerant recovery , recycling and proper handling . " RAC associations need to actively engage in training programmes to educate technicians about the importance of proper refrigerant handling , recovery and recycling . This helps reduce the environmental impact of ODSs and supports the goals of the Montreal Protocol ."

Furthermore , Chaumba discussed the role of associations in combating the illegal trade of ODSs through the collection of data . “ We rely on RAC members to provide the necessary information . In our offices , we can ’ t always access data like how much HFCs are