Montreal, 29 July 2011
- China, the largest producer and consumer
of hydrochlorofluorocarbons
(HCFCs), which not only harm the ozone layer
but also the climate due to their high global-warming
potential, has been granted US $265 million
to cut its use of these gases by 2015.
The funding approved
by the Executive Committee of the Multilateral
Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal
Protocol will support China's commitment
to make a real change to the global environment
as well as a contribution to the Green Economy.
China and its HCFC-consuming industries
have made a significant step towards achieving
the first reductions in HCFCs mandated by
the Montreal Protocol, the world's most
successful environmental agreement.
The projects agreed
between China and the Multilateral Fund's
Executive Committee represent the first
stage of China's HCFC phase-out management
plan (HPMP). Once implemented, the HPMP
will not only eliminate 3,320 tonnes of
HCFC consumption in China, but the new technologies
adopted will also significantly contribute
to global efforts to combat climate change
by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases
as compared to the technologies currently
in use in China.
In recent years China's
consumption of HCFCs has been soaring due
to its rapidly growing economy. In 2009,
China accounted for over 58% of HCFC consumption
in developing countries. China uses HCFCs
mainly as refrigerants for air-conditioners
and industrial and commercial refrigeration,
foam blowing agents and, to a lesser extent,
as solvents. These industrial sectors will
face the challenge of converting hundreds
of assembly lines in order to freeze the
country's consumption of HCFCs in 2013 and
reduce its consumption from this level by
10% by 2015 in line with the Montreal Protocol's
control measures for HCFCs.
The overall reduction
to be achieved will represent about 17%
of China's total amount of controlled HCFC
use. China will be assisted in its efforts
by the UN Development Programme, UN Environment
Programme, UN Industrial Development Organization,
the World Bank and the Governments of Germany
and Japan.
According to Maria Nolan,
the Chief Officer of the Multilateral Fund,
"The approval of China's HCFC phase-out
management plan represents an extraordinary
achievement by the Multilateral Fund and
its stakeholders to reduce HCFC consumption".
Through submitting this
plan, China has made a longer term promise
to entirely eliminate its's HCFCs by 2030
with assistance from the Multilateral Fund.
In the words of Mr. Wen Wurui from the Ministry
of Environmental Protection of China "One
Fund, one dream, the Fund makes the dream
come true".
Notes to Editors
The Multilateral Fund
for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
is managed by an Executive Committee which
is responsible for overseeing the operation
of the Fund. The Committee comprises seven
members from developed and seven members
from developing countries. In 2011 the Committee
membership includes Australia, Belgium,
Czech Republic, France, Japan, Switzerland,
United States of America (developed countries)
and Argentina, China, Cuba, Grenada, Kenya,
Kuwait, Morocco (developing country members)
and is chaired by Mr. Patrick McInerney
of Australia. The Committee is assisted
by the Fund Secretariat which is based in
Montreal, Canada.
Activities are implemented
by four international agencies (UNDP, UNEP,
UNIDO, World Bank) and a number of bilateral
government agencies. Since 1991, the Multilateral
Fund has approved activities including industrial
conversion, technical assistance, training
and capacity building worth over US $2.6
billion that will result in the phase out
of almost 460,000 ODP tonnes of consumption
and production of ozone-depleting substances
in developing countries.
In September 2007 the
Parties to the Montreal Protocol decided
to accelerate the freeze and phase-out of
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). The Multilateral
Fund intends to finance HCFC phase-out in
all 144 developing countries eligible for
its financial and technical assistance and
as at the 64th Meeting of the Executive
Committee, 81 countries have HPMPs in place.
