Vietnam celebrates Int’l Ozone Layer Protection Day

According to a resolution by the UN Security Council on December 19, 1994, September 16 was designated "International Ozone Layer Protection Day".

The Montreal Protocol, signed in 1987, was approved and implemented by all 196 countries. It is also supported by big corporations and consumers all over the world.

To put the protocol into action, from January 2010, all member countries will have to get rid of all substances that deplete the ozone layer like chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), cut down on the emission of hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) and completely eliminate it by 2030.

MONRE Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Duc said that Vietnam has fully implemented the Montreal Protocol since its approval in 1994.  He added that the country will prohibit the import of harmful substances such as CFCs from January 1, 2010. “However, the amount of HCFC, which is mostly used in cooling, air-conditioning and seafood processing, is still very high at about 3,000 tonnes and is forecast to increase in the future,” Duc said.

It was estimated by foreign and domestic experts that Vietnam needs about USD20 million to completely stop the use of HCFCs in the next 15 to 20 years. Although it is a big task for MONRE, the ministry is determined to complete it. The Department of Meteorology and Climate Change is now working with the World Bank to collect information about the quantities and areas where HCFCs are used in Vietnam. They expect to find sponsors to help carry out the project scheduled for 2011.

MONRE will propose to the Government a number of measures to ensure that Vietnam meets the Montreal Protocol’s deadlines for elimination of HCFCs.