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On Monday, September 16th 2024, Sierra Leone, through the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), joined the globe to celebrate World Ozone Day with the theme “Montreal Protocol Advancing Climate Action”.
World Ozone Day is celebrated to phase out ozone-depleting compounds, putting the ozone layer on track for recovery and protecting all life on Earth, while also confirming commitment to the Montreal Protocol.
This year’s World Ozone Day, celebration was lined up with lots of activities in Bo.
As part of the celebration, EPA played a friendly match against the Refrigeration, Engineers, and Technician Association (RETA) at the Bo coronation field.
The celebration also proceed with a cycling race around Bo City to highlight how emissions must be reduced to conserve the ozone. As they rode about, they conducted extensive public outreach on the substances that damage the ozone layer.
On World Ozone Day, September 16th, EPA School Nature Clubs in Bo district performed a melodrama demonstrating how much students know about ozone, encouraging environmental stewardship at a young age.
Respective speeches from stakeholders, led by Chief Director, Sheku Mark Kanneh, underscored Sierra Leone’s commitment to implementing the Montreal Protocol through the Environment Protection Agency.
With the assistance of UNIDO, the EPA has conducted a series of trainings for technicians on safe refrigeration procedures, certified them, and established centres of excellence in Freetown and, eventually, in the regional areas.
Madam Mimi Sobba-Stevens, the deputy minister of Climate Change and the Environment, presented plaques honoring RETA and EPA staff who have shown exemplary dedication to the agency’s purpose of protecting the ozone layer.
The event was concluded by distributing full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and toolboxes to two technicians from each district across the country to capacitate them on safe refrigeration practices in their course of work.
Since September 16, 1987, the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer has been used to launch awareness-raising campaigns commemorating the signing of the Montreal Protocol, one of the most successful environmental agreement
