KARACHI: Speakers at a conference held to mark the World Ozone Day at a local hotel on Monday emphasised the need for environmental awareness and collaboration among all stakeholders to stop the use of gasses causing harm to the ozone layer.

They also urged the government to place a ban on ozone-depleting gases.

Organised by the ministry of climate change and HVACR Society, the event attracted a large number of climate change researchers, scientists and university students.

The theme of this year’s World Ozone Day is ‘32 years and Healing’.

Vice Chancellor of NED University of Engineering and Technology Prof Sarosh Hashmat Lodi, the chief guest, talked about the role Pakistan could play to strengthen international efforts against global warming.

“Collaboration among all stakeholders is important. Besides, there is also a need to put a ban on the uses of gases which damage the ozone layer,” he said.

Highlighting efforts of the government, national programme manager at National Ozone Unit, ministry of climate change, Zia-ul-Islam said efforts had already been initiated to create awareness on climate change in collaboration with various stakeholders including the United Nations.

“At the first step, we are creating awareness on gases harming the ozone layer and providing training to people who are engaged in the production of these gases,” he informed the audience, adding that so far 300 people had been trained in this field.

Referring to a case, he pointed out that this training process had shown promising outcomes. In 2018, the Customs officers at the Karachi International Container Terminal were able to seize a massive shipment of R-22 gas weighing around 18,000kg. The gas was being imported from China.

The audience was informed that R-22, a colourless gas also known as HCFC-22, was a powerful ozone-depleting substance and commonly used as a refrigerant and propellant.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2019