Oman actively contributes to protection of Ozone Layer

Muscat: Since its ratification of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1998, the Sultanate of Oman has actively contributed to the efforts of the international community that aimed at protecting the ozone layer and protecting all forms of life in the planet.

Oman was able to meet and achieve all requirements for compliance with the Montreal Protocol, as it ratified the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.

Further, Oman worked on preparing a national programme to determine the procedures and requirements for the disposal of ozone-depleting substances in accordance with the Montreal Protocol, as well as the issuance of a legislative regulation that defines the legal responsibility for the requirements of the protection of the ozone layer.

As part of the effective efforts of the Sultanate of Oman in protecting the ozone layer, a national team has been formed under the Executive Committee for Climate Change and Ozone Layer Protection. The move aims at coordinating policies and procedures for the requirements of ozone layer protection and achieving requirements of compliance with the Montreal Protocol.

Additionally, an electronic system has been approved for importing ozone-depleting substances in accordance with the reduction requirements as per the protocol.

The National Ozone Unit in the Sultanate of Oman provides technical support and training in many vital sectors in a bid to contribute to the elimination of ozone-depleting substances, and the transition to materials and technologies that are not harmful to the ozone layer.

Moreover, Oman was able to stop the consumption of materials with a high ozone depletion factor by the end of 2010 through implementing a national strategy to get rid of these materials.

Oman has also implemented a national strategy in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), to completely phase out the use of ozone-depleting substances by 2030.

The Sultanate of Oman began coordinating with the competent authorities to approve the licensing system for technicians working in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector. The move aims to ensure the application of best practices and the adoption of special specifications in terms of energy efficiency of domestic cooling devices, in addition to coordinating with the UNIDO to develop safety specifications for flammable refrigerants, and to inspect imported shipments to ensure their compliance with the requirements of the Montreal Protocol, as well as ensuring their quality and purity.

The Sultanate of Oman joins countries around the world in marking the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, which falls on 16 September each year. It is the day on which a group of countries signed the Montreal Protocol to determine the procedures to be followed at the global, regional and local levels to gradually eliminate substances that deplete the ozone layer.