International Day for Preservation of Ozone Layer 

Ozone Day theme is “Montreal Protocol – Keeping us, our food, and vaccines cool!”  Most ozone resides high up in the atmosphere, between 10 and 40km above Earth’s surface called stratosphere. 

International World Ozone Day is observed every year on September 16 to spread awareness on the need to preserve and educate everyone on the depletion of environment.

Every year on September 16, World Ozone Day, also known as International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, is observed to raise awareness about the issue of depletion of the ozone layer. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed September 16 as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer to commemorate the date of signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

Ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun, thus helping preserve life on the planet. The phase-out of controlled uses of ozone-depleting substances and the related reductions have not only helped protect the ozone layer for this and future generations but have also contributed significantly to global efforts to address climate change.

According to the UN, “A number of commonly used chemicals have been found to be extremely damaging to the ozone layer. Halocarbons are chemicals in which one or more carbon atoms are linked to one or more halogen atoms (fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine). Halocarbons containing bromine usually have much higher ozone-depleting potential (ODP) than those containing chlorine”.

Secretary General’s message on preservation of environment

The Montreal Protocol began life as a mechanism to protect and heal the ozone layer. It has done its job well over the past three decades. The ozone layer is on the road to recovery. The cooperation we have seen under the Montreal Protocol is exactly what is needed now to take on climate change, an equally existential threat to our societies.

The Montreal Protocol is more than just an example of how multilateralism can and should work, it is an active tool to help meet our global vision for sustainable development. Under the Kigali Amendment to the Protocol, nations have committed to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), powerful greenhouse gases used as coolants. When fully implemented, the Kigali Amendment could prevent 0.4 degrees Celsius of global warming this century.

Furthermore, as we prepare for the Food Systems Summit this month, we are reminded that the Kigali Amendment can also help us to increase food security. By reducing HFCs, increasing energy efficiency and creating more ozone- and climate-friendly technologies, the Kigali Amendment can bring sustainable access to vital cooling services to millions of people.

Such services would reduce food loss in developing countries, where food often spoils before it can reach markets. Getting produce from farmers to where it is needed would help reduce hunger, poverty and the environmental impact of the agricultural sector. Another important benefit of expanding cooling is storage of medicines and vaccines, such as are needed to end the COVID-19 pandemic- Secretary General.

“The Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment show us that by acting together, anything is possible. So let us act now to slow climate change, feed the world’s hungry and protect the planet that we all depend on.” – António Guterres, Secretary General, United Nations.

World Ozone Day reveals cooperation, guided by Science, the only way to solve crises.

“Cold chain and refrigeration industry lies at the core of the theme for World Ozone Day 2021 – “Keeping us, our food, and vaccines cool”. This will help bolster awareness about the impact of this sector on food loss and wastage, the economy and most importantly, public and environmental health.

With an aim to make our Planet climatically safer and environmentally secure, Danfoss Industries has recently opened its new Centre of Excellence for green refrigerants, in Chennai including a new Green Refrigerant Testing Centre. This is a major green milestone in Danfoss’s journey to provide Sustainable Cooling for all and will surely help in the green transformation of India’s Cold Chain sector. Danfoss is also working with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for exploring carbon dioxide (CO2) as a promising natural refrigerant for Indian conditions. This is a vital step towards emphasizing the need for adapting latest technologies to local conditions and working with regional research institutes to build the local ecosystem necessary for nourishing new climate-friendly technologies, to ensure a green and sustainable tomorrow for India.”