Natural Refrigeration – IIR Ammonia Conference

Is this a unique situation that world has never faced before? Maybe yes, in terms of the emissions of carbon dioxide and in terms of the extent and the scope of the problem. But certainly it is not a unique situation when it comes to the model needed for the actions by the global community in wake of such a global threat. The world community has faced such a problem before and even set the successful example in addressing it. Exactly 20 years back, not far from here, in Vienna, the world community gathered to chalk out the action plan to address the global threat of depletion of Stratospheric Ozone Layer. Then after 2 years in 1987 came time bound measures that the world agreed to reduce and eliminate Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS). That was the treaty of Montreal Protocol on the Substances that Deplete the Ozone.

Though much work is yet to be done in ensuring the full recovery of the Ozone Layer,
there are strong indications that we are on the successful path. Just prior to the Montreal Protocol, no replacement was considered possible for majority of application for CFCs particularly in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector, today, the production and consumption of CFCs, is down by 90% from 1 million tons per annum to only about 80,000 MT annually.  Developing countries like Republic of Macedonia have already cut their production and consumption by 50% well before the target date stipulated  in the Montreal protocol. .

(SLIDE 1: Global CFC consumption over the years)
(SLIDE 2: Developing countries consumption today)

A first-ever funding mechanism to grant the incremental costs to the developing countries known as the Multilateral Fund under the Montreal Protocol has been working without interruption and without decline for the last 12 years.  More than US$ 1.6 billion have been disbursed to 140 developing countries to enable them to comply with the Montreal Protocol.  Another US$ 200 million have been allotted by the Global Environmental Facility to Countries with Economies in Transition to achieve the Protocol targets.