The Express Tribune

Pakistan has made more progress than it had committed to protect the ozone layer, a seminar organised by the Punjab University revealed on Friday.The seminar was organised by the PU’s College of Earth and Environmental Sciences (CEES) in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change. The one-day seminar titled ‘Hydrochlorofluoro carbons (HCFCs) Phase Out in Pakistan’ was held at its seminar hall.In the opening address, CEES Principal Dr Sajid and Dr Faiza Mazhar gave a presentation on the topic “HCFCs phase out in Pakistan”.He said according to the commitment, Pakistan had to reduce HCFCs by 10%.“The findings showed that Pakistan has reduced the these by 35%, which is a huge reduction,” he added.“We used remote sensing with a Geographic Information System (GIS) and gathered data from Karachi and Lahore. This is the first of its kind study carried out in Pakistan.Our findings will soon be published in an international journal,” he said, while elaborating on the methods adopted by researchers.While sharing his research findings, Dr Sajid said Pakistan was a signatory of the Montreal Protocol to reduce ozone depletion and the research focused on the results of the efforts made by the country.Ministry of Climate Change Joint Secretary Iftikharul Hassan Shah Gilani briefed the participants on the role played by the ministry in this scenario. He also pledged to help CEES in two projects dealing with mercury reduction and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) reduction. He said the ministry would jointly research and provide funding to CEES.Agreed on August 26, 1987, the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer’ is a protocol of the Vienna Convention. It is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. It targets complete eradication of pollutants from the ozone layer by 2040.Prominent researchers and scholars, including Dr Zaigham Abbas, Luqman Malik from Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC), faculty members, researchers and a large number of students attended the seminar.Published in, January 28, 2017.