A national project to phase out Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) that are harmful to the environment was launched at a workshop in the Crowne Plaza.

The drive will begin with a survey to find out the quantity of HCFCs that are used by industries, followed by an analysis of the data and the creation of a national strategy to phase them out and adopt alternatives.

The initiative is being spearheaded by the UN Environment Programme (UNDP) and UN Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) and is being rolled out in co-operation with the Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resource, Environment and Wildlife.

Unido international consultant Khaled Klaly said the survey was expected to take four to five months to complete and the analysis and strategy another two to three months.

'The project should be completed by February next year,' he told our sister newspaper Gulf Daily News.

'National experts will conduct the survey by getting data from customs, the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and enterprise data by visiting industries and obtaining data.

'This is one of the steps of a long-term strategy that aims to phase out HCFCs by 2030.

'Bahrain is a signatory to an agreement to phase out HCFCs, so this plan is a prerequisite to obtaining funds that will help Bahrain to do this.'

Klaly said under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, developing countries were required to comply with new phase-out measures.

Klaly said the major obstacle to phasing out HCFCs was the high demand from air-conditioning and foam industries as well as the unavailability of reliable, cost-effective alternatives and technologies.

The Unido expert was speaking on the sidelines of the National Workshop for Launching of the HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP).

It aimed to introduce all key national players to international commitments and requirements to prepare the HPMP of Bahrain and to get relevant stakeholders involved at an early stage.

The ultimate goal of the workshop was to provide the Public Commission with a roadmap to prepare the HPMP through guiding its work-plan of gathering information, communicating with the correct entities and consulting with local governmental and non-governmental stakeholders.

UNEP and Unido are responsible for the preparatory of the HPMP of Bahrain.

The event was attended by the Public Commission, government representatives and industry associations and leaders. The workshop has already been held in Saudi Arabia and next month will be repeated in Kuwait, Yemen, Qatar and Oman, followed by Iraq in August.-TradeArabia News Service