Centro Studi Galileo (CSG), together with the Ministry of Environment and Energy of the Maldives, have started a strong collaboration to draft the national certification programme, through an international project led by the United Nations Environment (UNEP).
A number of meetings were held in May within relevant authorities of Maldives, according to Centro Studi Galileo (CSG). Representatives at the meetings included the Ministry of Environment, with the Director of the Environment Management and the Ozone Unit together with the Project Officers Mauman Abdul Rasheed and Hawwa Nabaaha Nashid and Centro Studi Galileo's Head of International Affairs Silvia Romano.
During the meeting, Environment Ministry and other relevant key stakeholders presented the current situation in the Maldives. Noting that fisheries and tourism are the two main economic activities that guarantee regular income for the Maldives, CSG stated the expertise and proficiency of refrigeration and air conditioning service technicians are fundamental which is at the moment neither regulated, nor monitored.
CSG in collaboration with the Ministry and UNEP will draft a certification scheme over the coming months for servicing technicians that handle equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gasses and operate in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector. CSG revealed the overall objective is to introduce a comprehensive national legislation in the Country: preliminary documentation is already under evaluation, after an initial development phase which was drafted on the basis of the meetings and workshops held in Male'.
The main purpose of introducing such regulation is to allow only expert and qualified technicians to service equipment containing F-gasses or ODSs, which are harmful for the environment yet necessary for some specific plants. The topic of natural refrigerants has also already been introduced, which includes learning modules on hydrocarbons and ammonia, the main natural refrigerants used in the fishery and tourism sectors.
CSG expressed hope to establish a comprehensive training and certification programme of both personnel and companies throughout the archipelago, with the support of the Ministry.