A senior environmental official said yesterday that stronger
efforts will be made to phase out ozone depleting substances (ODS)
and that production and consumption of major ODS will have ceased
by 2010.
Li Xinmin, deputy director of the Pollution Control Department
of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), said that progress
so far meant that "China will reach the target two and a half years
ahead of the schedule in the Montreal protocol."
Li made the remarks at the opening of the South Asia, Southeast
Asia and Pacific network meeting of ozone officers, sponsored by
the UN Environment Program.
Since ratifying the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the
Ozone Layer and the Montreal Ozone Protection Protocol, Li said
China had been phasing out ODS in various sectors.
By the end of 2004, CFC production and consumption had been
reduced from 1997 levels by 40 and 55 percent respectively.
Meanwhile, halon production and consumption had been cut by 85
percent.
Li also said China is committed to stopping production and
consumption of non-essential CFCs by July 1, 2007, and that the
period from 2006 will be key as the focus shifts from investment in
phasing out ODS to strengthening supervision of remaining
production and consumption.
ODS management regulations began to be drafted in 2004 to crack
down on illegal production, consumption and trade of ODS with legal
instruments, he said.
Speaking at the meeting, Maria Nolan, chief officer of the
secretariat of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the
Montreal Protocol, said that one of the big challenges in the
region is the need to monitor and achieve a balance between supply
and demand for CFCs.
"There have been encouraging developments within India and China
in controlling the flow of ODS across the borders," she said.
Nolan said that the fund's executive committee had approved
China's request to advance the complete phase out of CFC production
from 2010 to 2007.
"This will certainly have an impact on reducing global supply of
CFCs," she said.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Vienna Convention,
and a series of events will be held in Vienna to mark the occasion,
according to the Secretariat for the convention and Montreal
protocol.
(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2005)