RIYADH — Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Center for Environmental Compliance Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fadley said that Saudi Arabia is keen to bring down ozone-depleting compounds by 67.5 percent by end of 2025. "The actual reduction began in 2015 at 10 percent, reaching 35 percent in 2020, and is scheduled to rise to 67.5 percent by the end of 2025, culminating in complete elimination with 100 percent by 2030," he said. The minister emphasized that the relevant authorities in the Ministry of Commerce must strictly adhere to the established timelines for phasing out certain ozone-depleting chemicals. He confirmed that the second phase of the plan for the final phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) includes precise timelines. "The annual quota system for these compounds has been in effect since January 1, 2013," the minister said while stressing the necessity of full compliance with the Unified Law of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries regarding ozone-depleting substances, the executive regulations of the Saudi Environmental Law related to these substances, and hydrofluorocarbons. Al-Fadley affirmed that the regulations stipulate the necessity of obtaining prior environmental approval when concluding any contracts or projects related to controlled materials, devices, and equipment. The regulations stipulate obtaining a permit to import, export, or re-export substances listed in the Montreal Protocol and its amendments. The minister stated that these measures are in line with the Kingdom's commitment to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, and its amendments. It is noteworthy that the ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) are man-made chemicals, primarily containing chlorine or bromine, that, when released, travel to the stratosphere and break down under UV light, releasing atoms that catalyze the destruction of the ozone layer, reducing Earth's protection from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
