EQD has three branches covering sustainable industries, atmosphere and sustainable transport and chemicals and the environment. The Atmosphere and Sustainable Transport Branch is responsible for the management and delivery of policies and programs related to atmospheric protection and sustainable transport including the protection of the ozone layer. The Ozone Protection Section fulfils Australia's international obligations under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
Ozone is a naturally occurring molecule containing three atoms of oxygen.
Ozone Layer Depletion - Causes and Effects Concerns about the depletion of the ozone layer exist because the ozone layer reduces the amount of harmful ultraviolet radiation that reaches the earth's surface. The ozone layer is also an important part of the global atmosphere-climate system in which present day living organisms, including humans, have evolved. Any significant change to this layer can have far-reaching consequences for human health. Ozone depleting substances also contribute to varying extents to the greenhouse effect . In addition to this general thinning, more dramatic damage occurs over Antarctica each Spring when the ozone 'hole' forms.