Nationwide ozone layer protection campaign on the go

HAVANA, Cuba, Aug 24 (ACN) A communication campaign linked to September 16, the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, was launched by national organizations led by Cuba’s Technical Ozone Office (OTOZ) through a several-stage in-person and virtual nationwide action plan.

The first stage included the 3rd virtual contest Desde Casa Protegiendo la Capa de Ozono (Protecting the ozone layer from home), followed by the program Por un verano feliz (For a happy summer).

September 16 will see a promotional campaign related to the 1992 Montreal Protocol—which Cuba signed after its approval in 1987 in view of the growing production and use of chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)—and to OTOZ’s 27th anniversary, based on workshops, seminars,
conferences, inventories of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment and training courses designed to raise awareness of the negative impact of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) particularly on human health.

On January 1, 2019 came into force the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, aimed at an 80% reduction of the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) over the next 30 years and expected to avoid a rise of up to 0.4 °C by the end of this century, in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement stemmed from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through mitigation, adaptation and ecosystem resilience.

However, on June 1, 2017, President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of his country from this agreement, one of his promises during his presidential race despite the fact that the U.S. is one of the most polluting countries in the world.