World Ozone Day – 32 years and healing

September 16 was World Ozone Day. The theme for this year’s World Ozone Day was ‘32 years and healing’. World Ozone Day commemorates the date of signing in 1987 of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

The ozone layer protects life on earth by absorbing ultra-violet (UV) radiation from the sun. UV radiation causes many problems from skin cancer and cataracts in people to damaged farm crops. The ozone layer is like sunscreen for the earth. Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs), including some refrigerants, damage the ozone layer, allowing more UV radiation from the sun to pass through, causing harm to our health and lifestyle.

As a signatory to the Montreal Protocol, the international environmental treaty created in 1987 and designed to protect the ozone layer, Australia has in place the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989 (the Act) and associated regulations, designed to protect the environment by reducing emissions of ODS. The Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) permit scheme plays an important role by controlling the trade, use and recovery of ODS refrigerants, as well as synthetic greenhouse gas refrigerants also controlled under the Act.

The latest Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion completed in 2018, shows that parts of the ozone layer have recovered at a rate of 1-3% per decade since 2000. At projected rates, the Southern Hemisphere is expected to make a full recovery in the 2050s and Polar Regions by 2060.

The RAC industry has contributed greatly to this success and should be proud of this achievement.

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