Cuba: reduction of the ozone-depleting substances

The Vienna Convention for the protection of the Ozone Layer is among the many business forums and international legal regulations in existence on sustainable and environmental development.

Until that moment a global environmental problem emerged due to the growing consumption and production of industrial chemical products like chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) used in refrigerators, air conditioners, substances used for the treatment of asthma and foams used for isolation and furniture.

They were at the time considered very attractive substances due to their stability and non-toxic methods although the higher layers of the atmosphere that would be affected under the sun´s radiation had a negative impact on the Ozone layer that acts as a protecting shield for the Earth.

The absence of the layer inflicts higher levels of ultra-violet radiation to the Earth´s surface affecting the immunological system of humanity and provokes health problems, including skin cancer and eye damage.

But the Vienna Convention did not establish specific regulations and only encouraged investigations, cooperation among nations and exchanges of information.

Two years later the Protocol of Montreal was created in 1987 which Cuba is signed.

Despite being a small country with economic limitations, but with a great environmental vocation, 20 years after the founding of the institution has accomplished positive results.

The Cuban State´s system of protecting the Ozone is based in the establishment of quotas, licenses and import and export permits, product equipment and systems, improving the cooperation with institutions in addition to stimulating the entities that eliminate toxic substances.

Its application allowed the elimination of the pharmaceutical and industrial aerosols and the fire extinguishers according to specialists from the OTOZ.

The warehouses are not fumigated with metallic bromide, as well as the tobacco, coffee cultivations, flowers, ornamental plants, tomatoes or peppers; and the use of toxic substances were eliminated in the laboratories, in addition to chloroform and chlorofluorocarbon in the refrigerators used at home and institutions.

With the Energy Revolution, Cuba eliminated the consumption of the chlorofluorocarbons in the refrigeration system.