Kota Kinabalu: The State Government reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to global efforts aimed at phasing out ozone-depleting substances and address climate change.
“Since January 2010, Malaysia has successfully phased out the import of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), halons and carbon tetrachloride (CTC).
“As a next step, Malaysia, as a committed party to the Montreal Protocol, has agreed to completely phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HCFC) by 2030,”Department of Environment (DOE) Director Nor Rashidah Mohd Ghazali said at the State-Level World Ozone Day Celebration recently.
She said the event at Likas Sports Complex aimed to raise awareness on the issue of ozone layer depletion and the actions needed to restore it.
She highlighted Malaysia’s achievements in fulfilling its commitments under the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer, noting that the nation successfully reduced HCFC consumption by 19 per cent under Stage 1 of the HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) between 2012 and 2016.
The Stage 2 HPMP, prepared in 2020 with funding from the Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund, aims to further achieve a 35-per cent reduction in HCFC imports.
“Another key strategy is the prohibition of the manufacture and import of air conditioners of 2.5 horsepower and below for sale in Malaysia.
To this end, the Refrigerant Management Regulation 2020, enacted under the Environmental Quality Act 1974, came into effect on June 1 2020,” she said.
Rashidah explained that this year’s theme, “From Science to Global Action,” underscores the importance of scientific research under the Vienna Convention, Montreal Protocol, and Kigali Amendment as drivers of global cooperation in restoring the ozone layer and tackling climate change.
“Scientific knowledge has become the foundation for concrete and effective global actions to protect the ozone layer from destruction,” she added.
She also stressed the importance of public participation in awareness programmes, which play a vital role in translating global climate goals into local community action.
Various activities were held in conjunction with the celebration, including the “Protect the Ozone Layer” colouring contest, aerobics session, Fun Run, tree-planting event, environmental exhibitions, ozone-themed quizzes, vehicle smoke tests, refrigerant management demonstrations, and an ozone awareness talk conducted by the Department of Environment (DOE).
These activities, involving schools, families, and local agencies, transformed scientific issues into engaging, community-friendly experiences — ensuring that the message of ozone protection reached the grassroots level.
Rashidah expressed her appreciation to members of the public for their participation, noting that their presence reflected the community’s concern, support, and commitment to raising awareness about the importance of protecting the ozone layer.
“May this spirit of cooperation and commitment continue in future initiatives to promote awareness of ozone protection and broader environmental preservation for the benefit of future generations,” she said.
