30th World Ozone Day 2024, its Background, Theme and Importance

Since 1995, the 16th of September has been observed as World Ozone Day in India and International Day for the Preservation of Ozone worldwide. World Ozone Day, or the International Day for the Preservation of Ozone, is celebrated every year to spread awareness among people about the depletion of the Ozone Layer, the danger it poses to the planet, and the countermeasures taken to preserve it.

In India, the  Ozone Cell under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has been celebrating the International Day for the Preservation of Ozone at the National and State levels since 1995.

World Ozone Day /International Day for Preservation of Ozone Background 

• In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution establishing 16 September as International Day for the Preservation of Ozone. 
• The day was chosen to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer on 16 September 1987.
• The first International Day for the Preservation of Ozone/World Ozone Day was observed on 16 September 1995.

Theme of the 30th World Ozone Day 2024 

• The theme of the 30th World Ozone Day 2024 is  “Montreal Protocol: Advancing Climate Actions.
• The theme reflects the Montreal Protocol's crucial role in protecting the ozone layer and driving broader climate action initiatives globally.

Importance of Ozone 

• Ozone is an unstable triatomic molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms.
• It is a thin layer of gas found in the atmosphere's stratosphere, about 15 to 30 km above the earth's surface. 
• Ozone plays a crucial role in blocking sunlight's harmful ultraviolet rays from reaching the Earth's surface, thereby preserving life on the planet.
• Continuous exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays causes skin cancers among humans and also causes climate change on Earth.

Human Action for the Depletion of the Ozone Layer 

• The triatomic ozone molecule is very unstable, and it is naturally destroyed and formed. However, due to human action, the ozone molecule's destruction rate is higher than the natural formation of ozone gas, leading to the almost disappearance of the gas in certain parts of the earth’s atmosphere, creating an ‘ozone hole’.  
• Man-made chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methyl bromide, methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, halons, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) deplete the ozone. These gasses were used as coolants in refrigeration, air conditioners, and aerosol sprays. 
• The chlorine and bromine in these man-made gasses react with ozone, breaking the Ozone molecule into an oxygen molecule and freeing one oxygen atom. 
• This continuous ozone destruction caused rapid depletion, causing its complete disappearance in certain parts of the earth. 

Efforts to Prevent the Depletion of Ozone 

• The first international agreement—the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer—was adopted and signed by 28 countries on 22 March 1985 to protect the ozone layer.
• Building upon the Vienna Convention, the historic Montreal  Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed on 16 September 1987.
• The Montreal Protocol laid out a road map for countries to gradually reduce production and consumption and eliminate certain ozone-depleting gases.
• The Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol received universal ratification on September 16, 2009.
• They were the first treaties in the United Nations' history to achieve universal ratification.

Kigali amendment 2016

• After the implementation of the Montreal Protocol, the use of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as substitutes for the identified ozone-depleting gases increased worldwide. 
• The HFCs do not deplete the Ozone layers but have a very high global warming potential.
• At the 2016 Kigali (capital of Rwanda) meeting, the Montreal Protocol was amended to phase out the use of HFC gas. 
• The Kigali Amendment 2016 has prescribed an internationally agreed-upon schedule for gradually phasing out HFCs from Earth.

India’s commitment under Kigali amendment 

• India will complete its phase down of production and consumption of HFCs in 4 stages starting from 2032 onwards. 
• India will reduce its production and consumption of HFCs by  10% in 2032, 20% in 2037, 30% in 2042 and 85% in 2047.