Decision XXXVI/7: Measures to support the sustainable management of recovered, recycled or reclaimed halons

The Thirty-Sixth Meeting of the Parties,

Recognizing that the global production and consumption of newly manufactured halons for controlled uses were eliminated in 2009 but that, since 1994, some remaining uses have relied on stocks of recovered, recycled or reclaimed halons for fire safety and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future,

Recalling that the import, export and use of recovered, recycled or reclaimed halons are not controlled under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer,

Recalling also paragraph 2 of decision XXIX/8, in which parties were invited, on a voluntary basis, to reassess any national import and export restrictions other than licensing requirements with a view to facilitating the import and export of recovered, recycled or reclaimed halons and the management of stocks of such halons, with the aim of enabling all parties to meet remaining needs in accordance with national regulations even as they make the transition to alternatives to halons,

Noting with concern information provided by the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel suggesting that there could be a lack of available supply of recovered, recycled or reclaimed halons for remaining fire safety uses within the next decade and that the destruction of halons has the potential to significantly reduce the available supply of recovered, recycled or reclaimed halons, thereby resulting in earlier run-out dates,

Noting that the Fire Suppression Technical Options Committee of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel indicated, in the May 2024 progress report of the Panel,[1] that parties might wish to consider providing information to the Ozone Secretariat on emissions from the production and feedstock uses of halon 1301,

Noting also that the limited development of and transition to alternatives to halons in some applications has the potential to prolong the global reliance on recovered, recycled or reclaimed halons for remaining uses and could even result in some sectors that have transitioned away from the use of halons reverting to their use,

Taking note of the information presented in the May 2024 progress report of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel[2] and the 2022 assessment report of the Fire Suppression Technical Options Committee,[3] which were provided to the parties before the forty-sixth meeting of the Open‑ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol,

Decides:

  1. To urge parties to refrain from any destruction of recovered or recycled halons that can be reclaimed for reuse and ensure that sufficient stocks of recovered, recycled or reclaimed halons remain available for anticipated future needs, and to invite parties to encourage relevant stakeholders to take the actions listed above;
  2. To encourage parties and their stakeholders to ensure that, during the maintenance and servicing of equipment, or before dismantling and disposal of equipment, halons are recovered for recycling and reclamation, with the objective of ensuring that sufficient stocks of recovered, recycled or reclaimed halons remain available for anticipated future needs;
  3. To also encourage parties that restrict the import and export of recovered halons beyond the requirements of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to reconsider, as a matter of urgency, those restrictions so as to facilitate the transboundary movement and reuse of recovered halons to the extent possible, taking into account the requirements of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, where applicable;
  4. To further encourage parties, as a matter of urgency, to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable management of halons, avoid the use of halons where other alternatives are available and inform users of halons, including in the aviation sector and the military, of the need to prepare for the risk of the reduced availability of halons in the future;
  5. To request the Ozone Secretariat to continue to liaise with relevant international bodies, including the secretariat of the Basel Convention, with regard to the importance of the sustainable management of halons and related elements of the present decision and to report on the matter to the parties as needed.

 

[1] United Nations Environment Programme, “Fire Suppression TOC (FSTOC) progress report”, in Report of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel: Volume 1 – Progress Report, May 2024 (Nairobi, 2024), p. 21.

[2]United Nations Environment Programme, Report of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel: Volume 1 – Progress Report, May 2024 (Nairobi, 2024).

[3] United Nations Environment Programme, Report of the Fire Suppression Technical Options Committee: 2022 Assessment Report – Dec. 2022 (Nairobi, 2022).