This year’s celebration are very important for two major reasons: Firstly, on the 1st of January 2010 the World will mark the complete phase out of a significant group of Ozone Depleting Substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol namely:- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Halons and Carbon Tetrachloride. Secondly by the 1st January 2010 the World will have witnessed the universal ratification of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer.

At the moment 195 of the 196 states of the World have ratified the Montreal Protocol making it the most universally accepted and implemented Multilateral Environment Agreement to date. This is an important milestone in the history of the protection of the environment and is therefore a cause for great celebrations.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Government of Zimbabwe is proud to be associated with this successful International Environmental Treaty. Zimbabwe has managed to reduce methly Bromide use in agriculture form a baseline level of 557 ODP tones in 1999 to 22 ODP tonnes in 2008. With the activities underway to replace methyl bromide in tobacco and stored grain fumigation, Zimbabwe will achieve total phase out of methyl bromide by the end of 2009, which is well ahead of the 2015 deadline stipulated under the Montreal Protocol. CFCs consumption in refrigeration and conditioning has gone down from 451 ODP tones in 1998 to 7 ODP in 2008.

The Country has already phased out Halons and carbon tetrachloride in fire fighting and cleaning respectively. This places the country in total compliance formidable job so far. I greatly appreciate and acknowledge the support my Ministry received from all stakeholders to realise this remarkable achievement in ODP phase out in the country.

As we celebrate the achievements of the Montreal Protocol, I expect the media people to inform the public at large on developments taking place in the Country and the World over to phase out the use of Ozone Depleting Substances. The role of journalists and media people in the success of the Montreal Protocol needs to be greatly acknowledged. After getting scientific information from researchers, Journalists alerted the World about the existence of the “Ozone Hole” , a term that has been used over the years to refer to the depletion of the Polar Stratospheric Ozone Layer.

Ladies and gentlemen, on the 17th September 2009, Zimbabwe will also be joining the rest of the World in the Clean Up Campaign. The Campaign comes in the midst of local initiatives that started gaining momentum in July as communities, church groups, corporate organisations and institutions organised themselves to clean up their environment.

The theme for this year’s Clean Up Campaign is Communities Uniting to Combat Climate Change. One of the major contributions that communities can make is principled waste management through reducing waste, reusing all that can be reused and recycling all that can be recycled. The wonder about reducing, reusing and recycling all that can be recycled. The wonder about reducing, reusing and recycling is that no special skills are required; it can be done in the homes, at farms, at workplaces, at Churches and at social gatherings.

Ladies and Gentlemen, our Ozone Day Celebrations this year will be held in Chinhoyi Town on the 16th September and I urge all Zimbabweans wherever you will be to join the Nation and the World at large to commemorate this important day on our Environmental Calendar. As we celebrate the Twenty-second Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol, we should pledge to unite to “seal the Ozone Hole”. Your collective efforts will help the World to achieve the goal that was set when the Montreal Protocol was signed 22 years ago in Canada.

As we approach the year 2010, lets all make pledges to live our lives without CFCs, Halons and Carbon Tetrachloride. We should all say Farewell and Good bye CFCs, Halons and Carbon Tetrachloride!

I thank you all