New Delhi: Two Indians ex-environment minister Anil Madhav Dave and deputy director of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Chandra Bhushan — have been honoured with ozone awards by the UN Environment Programme.
Dave, who died in May this year, was posthumously given the Political Leadership Award in recognition of his leadership role in getting the Kigali Amendment signed in October 2016.
Bhushan was given the Partnership Award for providing the policy and research support to the negotiations for the Kigali Amendment.
CSEs Down To Earth magazine also got the the Best Media Coverage Award.
The ceremony was held in Canada to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol.
Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan on Twitter said, “Matter of great pride for India as Late Shri Anil Madhav Dave, the then Honble Minister of State (independent charge) environment, forest and climate change, GoI, was given the Ozone Award posthumously.”
He said, “On behalf of India, the award was received by Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change and was handed over by Ms Catherine Mckenna, Minister of Environment, Government of Canada, at a glittering #OzoneAwards Ceremony.”
These awards recognise the achievements of individuals, groups and organisations that have demonstrated extraordinary contribution to progress of the protocol in the last 10 years, he said.
“Untimely demise of Late Shri Anil Madhav Dave has been a great loss to the nation. This award is yet another testimony to his dedication to environment, his work wont go in vein,” Harsh Vardhan said.
To combat climate change, about 200 nations, including India, had last year in Kigali , Rawanda, struck a legally- binding deal after intense negotiations to phase down climate-damaging HFCs that have global warming potential thousand times more than carbon dioxide.
HFCs are used as a refrigerant in refrigeration and air conditioning sectors.
It is a super greenhouse gas with global warming potential thousands of times higher than Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is considered as the most successful international environmental treaty.
Source: India Today
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