China Regulates Ozone Depleting Substances

[ozoneorbit]

Bangkok/ Beijing, 1 June 2010- After having closed down all its
production plants for CFCs much ahead of the schedule of the Montreal
Protocol, , the world’s largest producer of Ozone Depleting Substances
( ODS) , China, has enacted today the Regulations on the
Administration that include controls over consumption, trade, import,
export and production of remaining ODS.

China’s ODS regulation enacts strong control measures across all
sectors using ODS. Annual quota limits are now required for ODS
producers and consumers. ODS servicing firms and recovery and
recycling businesses must register with their local or Provincial
Environmental Protection Bureau. The regulation also increases the
transparency of cross-border trade by strengthening the ODS import/
export license system.

“This ODS Regulation further demonstrates the strong political
commitment of the Government of China to the protection of the global
environment. It will guide Chinese industry to ODS-free technology
while minimizing other environmental impacts”, said Mr. Wen Wurui,
Director General, Foreign Economic Cooperation Office (FECO), Ministry
for Environmental Protection (MEP), China.

These regulations will also involve high penalties. For example,
facilities and systems that illegally produce ODS will be dismantled
and demolished and subject to fines of approximately USD 150,000.

As many ODS are also powerful greenhouse gases, China’s ODS Regulation
will further contribute to climate protection effects by reducing the
emissions of thousands of millions of tons of CO2 equivalent. “With
these regulations, China is promoting industry and research institutes
to research and develop ODS alternatives which are ozone and climate
friendly” said Mr. Rajendra Shende, Head, UNEP DTIE OzonAction
Programme that has provided policy assistance to China.

China has been Party to the Montreal Protocol since 1991. With a joint
effort of industry, government and consumers, China terminated the
production and imports of two main kinds of ODS in 2007, two and a
half years before the Protocol deadline. By 2008 China had phased out
100,000 tons of ODS production and 110,000 tons of ODS consumption,
accounting for 50% of the total ODS phase-out in developing countries.
In addition, China ratified the Montreal and Beijing Amendments to the
Montreal Protocol on 19 May 2010, a reaffirmation of its commitment to
the phaseout of HCFCs, the ozone depleting and high GWP interim
alternatives to CFCs.

In order to fulfill this latter commitment, China and other developing
countries are building roadmaps, known as “HCFC Phase-out Management
Plans (HPMPs)”, for an HCFC phase out across 8 sectors.
This is in response to the accelerated phase-out schedule for HCFCs,
agreed to by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in 2007. HCFCs are
mostly used in the same sectors that consumed CFCs, and their global
CO2-weighted emissions having increased by 30% during the period
2004-2007 (Montzka et al. (2008) GRL). The dual threat that HCFCs pose
to the ozone and climate systems mean that the world needs to act
urgently to control them.






FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:


Mr. Atul Bagai
Regional Coordinator (Networking)
South Asia Network
Compliance Assistance Programme
OzonAction Programme
UNEP Regional Office for Asia and Pacific
UN Building, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Mobile: +66847002257
Tel: +6622881662
Fax: +6622883041
Email: atul....@unep.org

Mr. Wen Wurui
Director General
Foreign Economic Cooperation Office (FECO)
Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP)
5 Houyingfang Hutong, Xicheng District,
Beijing 100035, China, P.R.
Tel: 86 10 8226 8810
Fax: 86 10 822 00510
Email: oz...@mepfeco.org.cn





NOTES TO EDITORS:

UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP)
UNEP is the United Nations system’s designated entity for addressing
environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is
to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by
keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging
issues to the attention of governments and the international community
for action.

Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an
international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing
out the production and consumption of a number of substances believed
to be responsible for ozone depletion. The treaty was opened for
signature on September 16, 1987 and entered into force on January 1,
1989. Since then, it has undergone five revisions, in 1990 (London),
1992 (Copenhagen), 1995 (Vienna), 1997 (Montreal), and 1999 (Beijing).
Due to its widespread adoption and implementation it has been hailed
as an example of exceptional international cooperation "Perhaps the
single most successful international agreement to date...”

About the Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) of UNEP DTIE
UNEP as an Implementing Agency of the Multilateral Fund of the
Montreal Protocol has a unique regionalized programme that delivers
compliance assistance services to countries to assist them meet the
international commitments under the Protocol. The compliance regime
requires countries to: achieve and sustain compliance, promote a
greater sense of country ownership and implement the agreed Executive
Committee framework for strategic planning.

UNEP through the Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) has moved from
project management approach to a direct implementation initiative
through its specialized staff. Consistent with the above approach the
Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (ROAP) CAP team has developed to
be the centre for policy advice, compliance guidance and conduct
training to refrigeration technicians, customs officers and other
relevant stakeholders on compliance issues, promote bilateral and
multilateral cooperation and promote high-level awareness by utilizing
UNEP’s staff.

OzonAction Programme: www.unep.fr/ozonaction
Multilateral Fund: www.multilateral fund.org
Ozone Secretariat: www.ozone.unep.org