India achieves complete phase out of one the most potent ozone depleting chemical

News: India has successfully achieved the complete phase out of Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-141 b

Facts:

About Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-141 b

• It is a chemical used by foam manufacturing enterprises.

Environmental Benefits of phase out:

• Will assist the healing of the stratospheric ozone layer,
• Will help towards the climate change mitigation

Additional Information

Ozone Layer:

• Ozone layer, also called ozonosphere is a layer in the stratosphere lying between roughly 15 and 35 km above the Earth’s surface, containing relatively high concentrations of ozone molecules (O3).

Montreal Protocol

• It was signed in 1987. It  is signed by 197 countries – the first treaty in the history of the United Nations to achieve universal ratification 
• Aim: To protect the Ozone layer by reducing the production of substances that are supposed to be responsible for the Ozone layer depletion.
• It phases down the consumption and production of the different ozone depleting substances in a step-wise manner, with different timetables for developed and developing countries 
• Kigali Agreement: Signed in 2016, it is legally binding. It seeks to phase out the production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that are potent greenhouse gases by the late 2040s.