Jakarta, Ekuatorial – Indonesia targeted manufacturing, refrigerant, and air cooling industries to abandon ozone depleting chemicals and shift to environmentally friendly substance by 2015, said a senior official in Jakarta, on Wednesday (10/9).
After signing the Montreal Protocol in 2007, Indonesia is required to reduce ozone-depleting chemicals including hydrochlorofuorocarbon (HCFC) mostly used in refrigerants and air cooling.
“Indonesia is also required to prevent these chemicals emissions released into the atmosphere and raising public awareness,” said Arief Yuwono, Deputy for Environmental Degradation Control and Climate Change, the Ministry of Environment.
Yuwono said that Indonesia targeted to reduce ozone depleting chemicals for ten percent by 2015, 35 percent by 2020 and eventually 97.5 percent by 2030. Furthermore, he said that ministry of commerce had issued a regulation on ozone depleting chemicals limitation and HCFC ban on manufacturing industries in 2014.
“By September, there were five big air cooling companies, three out of 27 refrigerant industries, and seven out of foam industries have signed an agreement to ban HCFC [from their products],” he said.
Besides HCFC, Indonesia has managed to ban completely other ozone depleting chemicals, such as Halon, CTC (Carbon Tetrachloride), TCA (Tricholoroethane), Methyl Bromide, and CFC (Chloroflourocarbon). The latter was successful back in 2008 earned Indonesia an award from UNEP.
Meanwhile, dr. Laksmi Duarsa, said that ozone depleting will increase ultraviolet radiation, especially UV-B, which plays part for skin cancer development. Duarsa cited World Organization Health (WHO) report in 2007 that nearly 90 percent of skin cancer cases caused by sun rays. In addition, ozone depleting also responsible for skin burns, cataract, early aging, and decreasing the body immune system. Januar Hakam.