Tehran – Thanks to joint efforts by national and global institutions, Iran has managed to reduce most of the harmful UV radiation emitted through the ozone layer.
“I am grateful that the government has approved the revision of Kigali, and its ratification is being pursued by Majlis (Parliament),” the IRNA quoted Ansari as saying.
The amendment requires a step-by-step process in the production and use of fluorocarbon greenhouse gases (HFCs) to mitigate climate change.
Officials made their remarks while dealing with an event held on International Day on Monday, September 16th to preserve the ozone layer.
Iran ratified the Vienna Treaty and the Montreal Protocol in 1989, the London and Copenhagen amendments in 1996, the Montreal amendments in 2007, and the Beijing amendments in 2011.
The latest revision, the Kigali Amendment, was adopted in 2016. The HFCS phase down was required. The HFC was used as an alternative to batches of ozone-depleted substances that were eliminated by the original Montreal protocol. They do not deplete the ozone layer, but are known to be powerful greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. So far, 190 countries have ratified the amendment.
Understanding the importance of preserving the ozone layer, Iran has committed to playing an active role in the region two years after adoption of the Vienna and Montreal protocols. It shows that human life and future transcends geographical, cultural and racial differences and that protecting the environment is the shared and comprehensive responsibility of all states, Ansari emphasized.
The Ozone Treaty has been ratified by 198 political parties, making it one of the rare treaties to achieve universal ratification in UN history, and Iran is one of its pioneers, she added.
Officials continued, “In the past few years, by January 1, Iran has managed to eliminate ozone-depleted gases and material imports, and eliminate more than 5.67% of the flufluorocarbore. Today, it continues to protect the ozone layer and hopes to recover future generations of the ozone layer.
From science to global action
Many commonly used chemicals have been found to cause great damage to the ozone layer. Halocarboins are chemicals that are associated with one or more halogen atoms (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine) with one or more carbon atoms.
Bromine-containing halocarboles usually have a much higher ozone-depleting ability (ODP) than those containing chlorine. The artificial chemicals that provided most of chlorine and bromine for ozone depletion are methyl bromide, methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and a family of chemicals known as halons, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and HCFCs.
Therefore, forty years ago, the country gathered under the Vienna Convention to protect the ozone layer and agreed to take appropriate measures to protect people and planets from harmful UV rays poured through the potentially damaged ozone layer.
They were successful. Based on additional scientific information, the Montreal protocol was adopted, phased out chlorofluorocarbons (artificial chemicals used in refrigeration, aerosol sprays, and foam production) and the ozone layer was set on the road to recovery.
In September 2024, the World Weather Group (WMO) highlighted the growing evidence that the ozone layer is in fact on track from a long-term recovery.
“The ozone layer, once a sick patient, is on the path to recovery,” Secretary General Anne Antonio Guterres said in a message.
“When multilateralism is exposed to severe tensions, the Montreal protocol for protecting the ozone layer stands out as a powerful symbol of hope.”
If the current policy is in place, the ozone layer is expected to recover to 1980 values by around 2066 (before the emergence of ozone holes), in the Arctic by 2045 and to the rest of the world by 2040.
This year, on International Day for Ozone Layer Preservation, historic achievements are celebrated and we look forward to another 40 years of action. The Montreal protocol and the Vienna Convention are important for monitoring ozone and ultraviolet levels, as well as ozone-depleted substances and other chemicals that are being phased out under the Kigali amendment.
The Ozone Treaty represents the concept of a transition from science to global action. And they will do so for years to come.
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