The Technical Ozone Unit (UTO) of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia and the Proklima programme of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, have prepared this document to present the strategic Action Plan for the management of ODS banks in Colombia.
Rising temperatures, urbanisation and economic growth have led to a growing demand for refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) systems. This results in a rise of stocks of ozone depleting substances (ODS) and climate-damaging hydroflurocarbons (HFC). These quantities are known as the "ODS/HFC banks", a term that refers to the total amount of substances controlled by the Montreal Protocol contained in equipment, foams and other products or packaging, which have not yet been released into the atmosphere.
From these banks, quantities of these ODS (CFCs and HCFCs) and HFCs that affect the ozone layer and contribute to global warming are released into the atmosphere in a continuous and uncontrolled manner and thereby threaten our livelihoods. This represents an important challenge for Colombia which must consider the best strategies to carry out an environmentally sound management of these banks as well as to actively and articulately involve the different actors. This is how the National Plan for the management of ODS/HFC banks was formulated, which in its first phase focuses on the refrigeration and air conditioning sectors, as they are the ones with the highest consumption of these substances in the country.
The document includes a diagnosis of the current situation of the management of ODS/HFC banks and the institutional, regulatory and policy framework in force in Colombia regarding chemical substances, hazardous waste and waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). It sets out the Action Plan that, in accordance with six strategic lines, defines the specific actions that will be undertaken by 2030 for the environmentally sound management of ODS/HFC banks, those responsible for their execution and the monitoring indicators.