H.E. Gina McCarthy, the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recently commended the UAE for successfully hosting the 27th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP) on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer which was held from November 1-5, 2015 in Dubai. McCarthy expressed her sentiments during a meeting with H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, UAE Minister of Environment and Water, on the third day of the event.

During the meeting, the two parties discussed key developments in the ongoing MOP negotiations. The EPA Administrator expressed her appreciation for the efforts of the UAE to host the event as well as the country’s commitment to initiate programs for promoting sustainable development across various sectors.

McCarthy praised the achievement of the past two days in the ratification of a contact group tasked with managing the prevalence of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), an issue which has been in mediation since 2009. This accomplishment is the result of the UAE’s successful negotiations which finally led to a consensus that will serve the interests of all parties. She also noted the importance of adopting a contact group that will positively contribute to the countries’ collective efforts to ensure the protection of the ozone layer.

In addition, she lauded the UAE’s leadership role during the negotiations and expressed her hope that the UAE will succeed in uniting worldwide efforts towards implementing the contact group's  provisions.

H.E. Bin Fahad emphasized the UAE’s eagerness to participate in international efforts to meet global sustainable development goals. He noted that the UAE is dedicated to making the necessary improvements to support and ensure the success of the contact group in fulfilling their duties to manage HFCs and protect the ozone layer.

Bin Fahad also pointed out that the UAE remains committed to supporting global efforts to address climate change, following the discovery that HFCs augment the effects of global warming. He added that the success of the negotiations in Dubai paves the way for further fruitful negotiations at the Conference of Parties (COP) 21 as part of the United Nation framework on Climate change (UNFCC) TAKING PLACE IN Paris in the coming month.

The meeting concluded with both parties exchanging tokens and posing for photos to commemorate the event.