Environmental Policies and Countermeasures for the Phase-Out of Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODSs) over the Last 30 Years: A Case Study in Taiwan
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe article is interesting, since it deals with legislation and successive practical actions taken accordingly to improve the environment and solve ozone depletion and climate change issues, but I am not sure that it fits the "case report " layout. It seems much more a comment than a case study report.
So to be sincere I suggest to rethink the submission considering other kind of paper definition (maybe "report" or "commentary" could fit).
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageThere are some minor issues concerning language:
line 44 page 2 inclined (maybe declined would fit best)
line 189 page 4 "to be response" sounds strange
line 193 pag 4 "its mixtures" please harmonize with compounds
line 225 pag 6 "Table C": where is it?
line 265 page 7 I would rephrase the sentence: "occupational health risks when exposed to it"
line 300 page 8 "it will be effective on 1 January 202" the date is passed now!
Author Response
Point 1: To rethink the submission considering other kind of paper definition (maybe "report" or "commentary" could fit).
Response 1: Based on the title of the paper and its highlights, the article type may be relevant to “Case report” without changing it to "report" or "commentary".
Point 2: There are some minor issues concerning language:
Response 2: As pointed out by the reviewer, some minor issues have been corrected by marking red color in the revised manuscript.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe ozone-depleting substances (ODS) are one of the significant factors causing the reduction of ozone content and ecological and environmental damage. To effectively curb the reduction of ozone content, the international community has formulated several agreements to reduce the ozone hole. The author analyzes the inter-annual changes of ODS in the Taiwan region to examine the actions taken by the Taiwan region to reduce the ozone hole, and analyzes the environmental policies and countermeasures for gradually phasing out the consumption of ODS.
The article has two major issues that the authors need to address:
- Data Issue: The article does not specify the type of data analyzed, the source of the data, and the time period of the data. The subsequent figures and tables do not analyze all types of data.
- Methodological Issue: The author does not explain how the consumption amount is calculated, but only refers to the literature. This makes it difficult for readers to assess the accuracy of the data.
Some minor issues:
- Figure 1's data and methodology description are unclear. It is recommended to add the data source and methodology.
- If Tables 1 and 2 are references, please indicate the source in the tables.
- In Table 2, the sum of the three components of R-404A exceeds 100%.
- In Figure 2, how are the values for each stage obtained? Are they the maximum values for each stage? Also, is the data in this figure actual measurement data or theoretical analysis data?
- In Figure 3, there is a significant decline in the data in 2014. The author has analyzed the reasons, which is the use of Phosphine and other substitutes. It is recommended that the author adds data analysis of the substitutes.
- In the references, the term "Accessed XXX" should be standardized.
Author Response
Point 1: Data Issue: The article does not specify the type of data analyzed, the source of the data, and the time period of the data. The subsequent figures and tables do not analyze all types of data.
Response 1: As suggested by the reviewer, the description about the data on the ODS consumption and HFC emissions has been added to make it clear for the readers.
“Therefore, the official websites of the central competent authorities were accessed to mine the relevant database [13, 14], focusing on the HFC emissions from the alternatives to ODS during the period of 2001-2022 [14]. Furthermore, the data on the ODS consumption and methyl bromide consumption were based on their annual amounts of import and export over the past two decades [13].”
Point 2: Methodological Issue: The author does not explain how the consumption amount is calculated, but only refers to the literature. This makes it difficult for readers to assess the accuracy of the data.
Response 2: As suggested by the reviewer, the description about the methodologies for the ODS consumption and HFC emissions has been added to make it clear for the readers.
“Concerning the ODS consumption, the calculation was mainly based on the database of ODS import and export, which were accessed on the trade statistics (Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance) [14]. According to the definition of ODS consumption, it referred to the net value by subtracting the value of export from the values of production and import. As mentioned above, there were no ODS production in Taiwan since 2004. Therefore, the ODS consumption in Taiwan should be theoretical analysis data, not actual measurement data. Regarding the emissions of HFCs (the alternatives to ODS) from the industrial process and product use (IPPU) sector, they were extracted from the national GHG inventory report [13], which was obtained by using the IPCC methods (“2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories”) [7].”
Point 3: Figure 1's data and methodology description are unclear. It is recommended to add the data source and methodology.
Response 3: As suggested by the reviewer, the description about the sources in Figure 1 has been added to the diagram.
Point 4: If Tables 1 and 2 are references, please indicate the source in the tables.
Response 4: The data in Table 1 and Table 2 were compiled from the websites and/or literature [17-19], which have been cited and shown at the bottom of tables.
Point 5: In Table 2, the sum of the three components of R-404A exceeds 100%.
Response 5: The percentage of HFC-134a should be 52, which has been used in Table 2.
Point 6: In Figure 2, how are the values for each stage obtained? Are they the maximum values for each stage? Also, is the data in this figure actual measurement data or theoretical analysis data?
Response 6: The data in Figure 2 was cited from the official database [10]. These values for each stage were calculated from the data on the imports and exports of ODS [14]. Therefore, they should be theoretical analysis data, not actual measurement data.
Point 7: In Figure 3, there is a significant decline in the data in 2014. The author has analyzed the reasons, which is the use of Phosphine and other substitutes. It is recommended that the author adds data analysis of the substitutes.
Response 7: To present the data relevant to this trend, the description about the imported amounts of phosphine was added to the revised manuscript.
“In this regard, the import of phosphine has begun from 2014. Since then, its annual imports ranged from 25 to 67 metric tons over the past decade.”
Point 8: In the references, the term "Accessed XXX" should be standardized.
Response 8: As pointed out by the reviewer, the term has been revised to meet the writing style in the References.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsIt is ok for me, nevertheless concerning the first issue the answer was basically not satisfying.
Author Response
Point 1: It is ok for me, nevertheless concerning the first issue the answer was basically not satisfying.
Response 1: As suggested by the reviewer and the article type selection in the Submission System, the article type has been changed from “Case Report” to “Brief Report”.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThank you for the authors' reply. However, I still have doubts regarding the data issue. Did the authors analyze all the relevant HFCs in Table 1, or only a subset of the data? Which types of ODS or HFC data were used? Please provide a detailed explanation.
In Figure 2, the data presented is theoretical, not actual measured data. Why are there interannual variations in these theoretical data? How were these theoretically varying data obtained?
Author Response
Point 1: Did the authors analyze all the relevant HFCs in Table 1, or only a subset of the data? Which types of ODS or HFC data were used? Please provide a detailed explanation.
Response 1: In Table 1, the data on the atmospheric lifetime, global warming potential (GWP) and main applications of commonly used HFCs were listed. These HFC substances were commonly used in Taiwan according to their annual import amounts from the official database. The data on the atmospheric lifetime and GWP (100-year time horizon) were compiled from the IPCC Report (Ref. 17). The main application fields of these HFC substances were based on the database of “Protecting Our Climate by Reducing Use of HFCs” (Ref. 18). The detailed explanation about the data in Table 1 has been added to the Sec. 3.2.
“The data on the atmospheric lifetime and GWP (100-year time horizon) were compiled from the IPCC Report [17]. The main application fields of these HFC substances were based on the US EPA website [18].”
Point 2: In Figure 2, the data presented is theoretical, not actual measured data. Why are there interannual variations in these theoretical data? How were these theoretically varying data obtained?
Response 2: The data in Figure 2 were obtained from the official database (Ref. 10), which was based on the annual import amounts from the official trade statistics (Ref. 14). The variations on the theoretical ODS consumption values could be connected with the domestic demand for HCFC, current HCFC price and staged requirements of the Montreal Protocol. The brief explanation about the variations on the data in Figure 2 has been added to the Sec. 4.
“In Taiwan, the HCFC consumption were obtained from the official database [10, 14]. Figure 2 showed the staged declination of HCFC consumption since 1996 [14], which was based on the regulatory requirements of the Montreal Protocol as mentioned above (Sec. 3.1) [10]. In addition, the variations on the theoretical HCFC consumption values in Figure 2 could be connected with the domestic demand for HCFC substances in the residential, commercial and industrial applications and their current HCFC prices.”
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
