Let’s Build A Better Tomorrow
By Shri Ravi Agrawal, Additional Secretary, MoEF&CC.
16th September each year is celebrated as World Ozone Day to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987, an international environmental treaty for phasing out of production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances. The theme of World Ozone Day 2021 is “Montreal Protocol — Keeping us, our food and vaccines cool”.
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is the only international environmental treaty universally ratified by all the 198 United Nations member states.
India, as a party to the Montreal Protocol since June 1992, has been successfully implementing the ozone-depleting substances phase-out projects and activities in line with the phase-out schedule of the Protocol. India has phased out chlorofluorocarbons, carbon tetrachloride, halons, methyl bromide, and methyl chloroform for controlled uses as of 1 January 2010, in line with the Montreal Protocol. Currently, hydrochlorofluorocarbons are being phased out as per the accelerated schedule of the Protocol. India has consciously chosen a path of environment-friendly and energy-efficient technologies while phasing out ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol for phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) has for the first time recognised the linkages between refrigerant transition and energy efficiency of air-conditioning equipment within the realm of the Protocol. Towards this, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has taken the initiative to develop an India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP), the first of its kind in the world, to look for synergies in actions having the potential to provide socio-economic and environmental benefits related to reduced refrigerant use, climate change mitigation and Sustainable Development Goals. Steps are being taken to operationalise the recommendations of the ICAP and as a first step, action points for implementing the recommendations for the thematic area ‘Space Cooling in Buildings’ have been finalised after mapping the recommendations given in the ICAP with the ongoing government programmes/schemes and in consultation with all the concerned line Ministries/departments to be associated with for implementation of the action points.
The Government of India has recently decided to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. The Ministry will be working towards developing a national strategy for the phase-down of HFCs, after consultation with all the industry stakeholders. Implementation of HFC phase-down under the Kigali Amendment through the adoption of low-global warming potential and energy-efficient technologies will achieve energy efficiency gains and carbon dioxide emissions reduction — a climate co-benefit.
World Ozone Day reminds us that not only is ozone crucial for life on Earth but that we must continue to protect the ozone layer for future generations as well.
