The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change celebrated the 29th World Ozone Day on September 16th, 2023. This day commemorates the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987, an international treaty aimed at phasing out the production and consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances. The theme for World Ozone Day 2023 is “Montreal Protocol: fixing the ozone layer and reducing climate change”.
The Chief Guest of the event, Ms. Leena Nandan, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, highlighted India’s proactive role in implementing the Montreal Protocol and emphasized the importance of children’s participation in the related competitions. She also discussed various initiatives of the Ministry including the LIFE mission and the synergies among different activities for environmental protection.
The event included the release of awareness materials, winning entries of national-level poster and slogan competitions, and various publications. It also featured the release of the 25th edition of “The Montreal Protocol: India’s Success Story” highlighting India’s achievements in implementing the protocol. Additionally, action plans for the implementation of the India Cooling Action Plan and other reports related to sustainable e-commerce cold chain infrastructure were released.
The Montreal Protocol, an international treaty, aims to protect the Earth’s Ozone Layer by phasing out the production and consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances. India has been successfully implementing the protocol and has phased out various substances in accordance with the phase-out schedule. As part of the Hydrochlorofluorocarbons Phase out Management Plan (HPMP) Stage-III, India will phase out the use of HCFCs in manufacturing new equipment by December 31, 2024. This phase-out will lead to significant reductions in direct emissions of CO2 equivalent from 2030 onwards.
The event also highlighted India’s efforts in addressing the challenges of transitioning from Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to low Global Warming Potential (GWP) alternatives. This includes initiatives to promote research and development of low GWP chemicals in collaboration with Indian Institutes of Technology. World Ozone Day serves as a reminder of the critical importance of ozone for life on Earth and the ongoing need to protect the ozone layer for future generations.