2022 World Ozone Day |16 September 2022
Training on safe use of hydrocarbons provided to refrigerant technicians in Seychelles
Montreal Protocol@35: Global cooperation protecting life on Earth
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a model of cooperation. It is a product of the recognition and international consensus that ozone depletion is a global problem, both in terms of its causes and its effects. The protocol is the result of an extraordinary process of scientific study, negotiations among representatives of the business and environmental communities, and international diplomacy. It is a monumental achievement.
In a human lifetime, the mid-thirties can be a time of reflection: to think about what we have achieved and look ahead to what more we can accomplish. It is no different for the Montreal Protocol to Protect the Ozone Layer, the most successful environmental treaty to date.
As the treaty turns 35 on World Ozone Day, today, we will remember how the Montreal Protocol ended one of the biggest threats ever to face humanity as a whole: the depletion of the ozone layer. When the world found out that ozone-depleting gases used in aerosols and cooling were creating a hole in the sky, they came together. They showed that multilateralism and effective global cooperation worked and they phased out these gases. Now the ozone layer is healing, allowing it once again to shield humanity from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. (courtesy of UNEP message)
This action has protected millions of people from skin cancer and cataracts over the years since. It allowed vital ecosystems to survive and thrive. It safeguarded life on Earth. And it slowed climate change: if ozone-depleting chemicals had not been banned, we would be looking at a global temperature rise of an additional 2.5°C by the end of this century. This would have been a catastrophe.
In the year of Stockholm+50, marking five decades since the landmark conference that kick-started today’s environmental global movement, the Montreal Protocol has much more to give. Under the Kigali Amendment, nations have committed to phase down hydrofluorocarbons – a move that could avoid up to 0.4°C of global temperature rise by the end of the century. The Protocol and its Amendment are helping the world adopt climate friendly and energy-efficient cooling technology. (Courtesy of UNEP message)
Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol
However to change the Montreal Protocol into an even better treaty, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol came into existence on October 15, 2016, to phase down production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) worldwide. HFCs are widely used alternatives to ODS such as hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are already controlled under the Protocol and by 2020, one hundred and twelve (112) countries including Seychelles in August 2019, which are Parties to the Montreal Protocol, have ratified the Kigali Amendment.
Compliance with the Amendment will avoid up to 0.4C of warming over this century.
Once more to protect the future of our planet, global cooperation is needed to protect human & ecosystem health.
Full adoption of the Kigali Amendment may even double the positive impact on climate by allowing the Ozone Layer to heal.
But the Montreal Protocol also plays a key role in fighting another planetary challenge – that of climate change.
On World Ozone Day, global cooperation is needed by all nations and business to work as one to meet the goals of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and help build a better and cooler World.
What does this mean for humanity?
As we continue to protect the ozone layer, it will continue to safeguard us and all life on Earth. It also means a cooler planet as more countries ratify the Amendment. It means more people being able to access vital cooling technology without further warming the planet. It also means the Protocol continuing to send a clear and lasting message: global cooperation to protect life on Earth is our best chance at a brighter future for everyone.
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