Context:
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change celebrated 29th World Ozone Day recently.
World Ozone Day is celebrated (16th September) each year to commemorate signing of Montreal Protocol.
About Montreal Protocol:
- An international environmental treaty for phasing out the production and consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS).
- Adopted in 1987.
- 1st United Nations treaty to be ratified by every country
- It was implemented under the Vienna Convention.
- It is an international treaty on the protection of the Ozone Layer, came into force in 1985.
- Kigali Amendment –
- Adopted in 2016Came into force in 2019
- Purpose – To phase down the production and consumption of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
What are ODS and HFCs?
- ODS contains Chlorine and bromine atoms reach the stratosphere and repeatedly break apart ozone molecules in the stratosphere, a process known as catalytic cycles resulting in destruction of ozone.
- ODS are Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), Carbon tetrachloride, Halons, etc.
- HFCs were introduced as a non-ozone-depleting alternative to CFCs and HCFCs, but it has huge global warming potential thousands of times that of carbon dioxide.
India’s achievements in the implementation of Montreal Protocol:
- Phased out CFC, Carbon tetrachloride, Halons, etc. for controlled uses.
- HFCs Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) Stage- II is currently under implementation from 2017 (till 2024).
- Phased out the use of HCFC- 141b in the manufacturing of rigid foam.
- India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) aims at reducing cooling demand, refrigerant transition, enhancing energy efficiency and adopting better technology options by 2037-38.
Source: PIB
Previous Year Question
Which one of the following is associated with the issue of control and phasing out of the use of ozone-depleting substances?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2015 Prelims]
(a) Bretton Woods Conference
(b) Montreal Protocol
(c) Kyoto Protocol
(d) Nagoya Protocol
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
The Montreal Protocol provides a set of practical, actionable tasks to phase out ozone- depleting substances. Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
