26 November 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Australia shines at Montreal Protocol meeting

Australia’s management of environmentally damaging refrigerants was hailed as an example to the world at the recent 36th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP36) in Bangkok, Thailand.

MOP36 delegates adopted many key decisions to advance the implementation of the Protocol and its Kigali Amendment.

Life-cycle refrigerant management (LRM) was a focus of MOP36 with a workshop held the day before the meeting to allow sharing of different LRM approaches from around the world.

The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) was invited to participate in the workshop, with ARC Chief Executive Officer Glenn Evans highlighting Australia’s co-regulatory model for refrigerant management. It was apparent that the ARCtick licensing model, operating under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989, is the global standard in the eyes of many countries.

‘Delegates from around the world recognised the merit of our scheme, with government and industry working together to ensure that people handling refrigerants are well trained, competent, and supported through effective compliance,’ Mr Evans said.

‘The strength of our co-regulatory model stood out strongly in the LRM workshop, where our model of consultation and collaboration between industry and government contrasted with other approaches which were purely about regulation.

‘A seamless series of presentations from Australian government and industry representatives at the workshop and side events reflected how closely we work together.’

The Montreal Protocol came into force in 1989 to protect the Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out the chemicals that deplete it, and thanks to the collaborative effort of nations around the world, the ozone layer is on its way to recovery.

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Media Contact:          Greg Shoemark          0412 577 526             gshoemark@arctick.org