Speaking to reporters at a workshop held at the Customs Building, the director at the environment ministry Mirza Mohamed said that the ban on import of any HCFC releasing products would result in a 20 percent reduction in HCFC emission in Maldives. "We have begun the process of phasing out HCFC in the Maldives since 2011. We shall reduce it by 20 percent from next year onwards. We will also begin banning related equipments afterwards," she said. The main products in the Maldives that emit HCFC are air conditioners and refrigerators. HCFC is a harmful gas that destroys the ozone layer, contributing to global warming. Mirza said that the ministry's target was to completely stop the use of any HCFC emitting product in the Maldives by 2020. But the biggest challenge is the unavailability of an alternative energy source, she said. "The most readily available gas in the market is HFC currently. Though this gas does not directly harm the ozone layer, it contributes on a greater scale to global warming," she said. The workshop conducted in the Customs Building was to discuss with the relevant authorities the use of HFC. Apart from several government and international agencies, the workshop was also attended by individuals and companies involved in the servicing of air conditioners and other related equipment. Maldives is the first country in the world that is striving to completely stop the use of HCFC.