As part of its commitments under Montreal Protocol on protecting the stratospheric ozone layer, Iran has managed to phase out around 9,800 tons of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) by upgrading and overhauling 1,378 manufacturing and service industries, Ebrahim Hajizadeh, director of National Ozone Layer Protection Plan, said on the occasion of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer on Sunday.
“The release of ODSs have been controlled and reduced in 122 refrigerator manufacturing units as well as 66 assembling and 595 repair units, 454 vehicle air-conditioning repair shops and 47 sponge and spray producing factories,” the official said, IRNA reported.
In its future plans, national workgroups aims to complete the bank of halons to enable collecting the existing halons for recycling and reuse, develop regional cooperation to control illegal practices involving the harmful materials and devise a project on disposal of ODS-containing waste, according to Hajizadeh.
Halons are any of a number of unreactive gaseous compounds of carbon with bromine and other halogens that are now known to damage the ozone layer.
He stressed that regarding the operations to phase out the ODSs, certain points need to be taken into account.
“It is essential to localize the alternative technologies that are compatible with the ozone layer, use online systems under Internet Privacy and Identity Credential for exchange of information between importing and exporting states and cooperate with the customs offices to record the permits for the trade of the related goods,” he said.
Success Story
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (a protocol to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer) is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out production of substances responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on September 16, 1987 and entered into force on January 1, 1989.
Iran joined the protocol in 1988 after it was ratified by its parliament.
Last year, the former UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Gary Lewis had commended Iran for demonstrating the greatest success in the region in this regard, saying the country was among the best in the world.
“As committed, Iran managed to reduce the consumption of ODSs by 15% by 2015 in cooperation with the UN Development Program, UN Industrial Development Organization, UN Environment Program and support from the government of Germany,” Lewis had said.
The Iran UNDP also wrote on its website that “Iran is considered one of the leading member states in projects using ozone compatible material and engaging and training stakeholders consistent with the Montreal Protocol. Iran has met and enforced all Montreal Protocol resolutions according to the timeline and was granted certificate of appreciation in this regard.”
This year’s theme for the Ozone Day that is commemorated annually on September 16 is “Keep Cool and Carry on: Montreal Protocol.”
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his note on the occasion of the global day that the theme is a “motivational rallying call” urging everyone to protect the ozone layer and climate under the Montreal Protocol.
“The theme has two connotations—that our work of protecting the ozone layer also protects climate, and that the Montreal Protocol is a ‘cool’ treaty, as exemplified by its outstanding success,” he said.
