Spain’s Guardia Civil rewarded by UN for environmental work

WORK carried out by SEPRONA, the Guardia Civil’s nature and environment division, has been recognised by the United Nations 

An award was presented in Kiev (Ukraine) at the regional ceremony of the Global Montreal Protocol Award For Customs and Enforcement Officers. 

It was collected by the Head of SEPRONA, Antonio Tocón, together with the Environmental Prosecutor Antonio Vercher, accompanied by the Spanish ambassador to Ukraine, Silvia Cortés. 
The event was organised by the United Nations Environment Programme “OzonAction“, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) of Ukraine. 

These prizes are awarded every two to three years following a worldwide call for nominations. In this case, as in the two previous editions, the Head of SEPRONA together with the Coordinating Prosecutor’s Office for the Environment and Town Planning have been awarded the prize after submitting a joint candidacy.  
The UN was recognising four operations carried out by SEPRONA during 2018 relating to the fight against the illegal trade in fluorinated greenhouse gases that deplete the ozone layer (HCFC/HFC). 

These were: 
Operation Malvarma – against the illegal trafficking of fluorinated gases from Spain to Panama and France. 
Operation Cheiro: Conducted by the SEPRONA Section of Zamora against the use of prohibited refrigerants in cattle farms.  
Operation Kigali: Developed by the UCOMA in different provinces of the national territory against greenhouse gas emissions.  
Operation against the illegal management of electronic and toxic waste, carried out by the SEPRONA Section of Soria.    
During the presentation ceremony, the representative of the Ozone Secretariat of the United Nations Environment Programme, Gilbert Bankiveza, highlighted the enormous importance of having almost 2,000 police officers specialising in environmental crimes, which make the Spanish Guardia Civil a pioneer in this respect.