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The Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989 (the Act) implements Australia's obligations under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer by prohibiting the import, export and manufacture of ozone depleting substances unless the correct licence or exemption is held.
Under the Act all licences to import or export ozone depleting substances carry a condition that the licensee must only import or export the substance from a country that has ratified the Montreal Protocol and the relevant subsequent Amendments.
The Amendments are:
- London Amendment
- Copenhagen Amendment
- Montreal Amendment
- Beijing Amendment
- Kigali Amendment
Licensees should note that all countries have ratified the Montreal Protocol and all its Amendments related to ozone depleting substances.
In relation to the Kigali Amendment, which introduces a phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the control of trade with non-Party provisions will come into force in 2033. Up until 2033, there are no restrictions on importing HFCs from, or exporting HFCs to, other countries regardless of whether they have ratified the Kigali Amendment.
Table 1 shows the status of all countries against ratification of the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments. Licensees may also check the full list of ozone depleting substances in Table 2, which lists the Amendments to the Montreal Protocol and each of the ozone depleting substances or HFCs that each Amendment introduced.
If unsure of the status of a particular country, or which Amendment a particular ozone depleting substance relates to, licensees should contact the Ozone and Climate Protection Section before trading in ozone depleting substances.
Where a range of ozone depleting potentials is indicated, the highest value in that range shall be used for the purposes of the Montreal Protocol. The ozone depleting potentials listed as a single value have been determined from calculations based on laboratory measurements. Those listed as a range are based on estimates and are less certain.
Contact us
For further information on Australia's Montreal Protocol obligations please contact:
Email: ozone@dcceew.gov.au