Commemorative Meeting for the 2010 International Ozone Day
The Great Hall of the People, Beijing,
16 September 2010

Mrs. Maria Nolan
Chief Officer
Secretariat of the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol

 
Mr. Zhang Lijun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Mr. Marco Gonzales, Executive Secretary of the UNEP Ozone Secretariat, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is an honour and a privilege for me to be invited by the Government of the People’s Republic of China to share this day commemorating the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer and to celebrate almost two decades of China’s leadership and commitment to the Montreal Protocol. 

In 1989, China became a signatory to the Vienna Convention, followed by the Montreal Protocol in 1991.  From then on, China was and continues to be an important partner in protecting our ozone layer.

Ladies and gentlemen, this year’s observance of International Ozone Day marks yet another milestone for the Montreal Protocol. 2010 brings to a close the first set of control measures that have been successfully met by all signatory countries: the complete phase-out of CFCs, Halons, CTC and TCA. By the end of December 2009, more than 250,000 ODP tonnes of consumption and over 196,000 ODP tonnes of production of these substances had been phased out in 148 developing countries with the assistance of the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol. Out of this total amount, China alone phased out over 112,000 ODP tonnes of consumption and 142,000 ODP tonnes of production accounting for fifty percent of the phase out in developing countries.

In June of this year, China has once more demonstrated its strong commitment to protecting the ozone layer. By enacting the Regulation on Management of ozone depleting substances, it ensures that consumption, trade, import, export and production of remaining ODS is strictly controlled. These regulations also include very high penalties and steep fines to deter facilities and enterprises that may wish continue to produce ODS above legal limits. I would like to congratulate the Government of China for this tremendous achievement. It proves your determination to safeguard the accomplishments of the last twenty years. It also emphasizes the political commitment of your government to protect the global environment.

Recent research has shown that the phase-out of ozone depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol contributed significantly to climate protection since the substances phased-out, for example CFCs, are also very potent green‑house gases, therefore this amount phased out has also made a significant contribution to another important environmental issue.

Distinguished guests, these achievements, both in China and in many other developing countries, secured with the assistance of the Multilateral Fund, are often cited as prime examples of successful international environmental cooperation. The spirit of cooperation within the Multilateral Fund community stems from the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and clearly illustrates that humankind can find ways to fulfill its profound responsibility to protect the earth, its environment and the communities that live in it.

The success of the Montreal Protocol activities in China would not have been made possible without the full cooperation of the many important stakeholders in ODS phase-out in the country, in particular the industry. The government has invested a lot of time and effort to bring industry in as partners and not just as recipients of assistance in the phase out process. This institutionalization of industry involvement is instrumental to the success of the phase out of ODS in China, and is something that many developing countries can learn from.

But despite all these positive outcomes, the work of the Montreal Protocol is far from complete. Over the last two years, the Montreal Protocol and its Multilateral Fund has been working towards supporting the new accelerated phase-out of HCFCs agreed by the Parties in 2007 at the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Montreal Protocol. The Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund dealt with, amongst other issues, ways and means and guidelines on how the phase out of HCFC could be funded, as well as ensuring that the full spirit of decision XIX/6 taken by the Parties, which includes consideration of the climate impacts of technologies replacing HCFCs, be taken into account when developing and implementing phase out projects. This is obviously coupled with a number of known factors, in particular that the main objective of the Multilateral Fund is to provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries to meet their phase out targets under the Montreal Protocol, and that the Fund is to be replenished at the stable and sufficient levels necessary for ensuring this assistance. In addition, the Parties to the Montreal Protocol have directed the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund to give priority to cost-effective HCFC phase-out projects and programmes which focus on substitutes and alternatives that minimize other impacts on the environment, including on the climate, and take into account global warming potential, energy use and other relevant factors. The Montreal Protocol and its Multilateral Fund is therfore entering a new era as it seeks to stem the growth of HCFC consumption in developing countries, bearing in mind the dual benefits for ozone and climate in this process.

At its 60th Meeting in April this year, the Executive Committee agreed the majority of policies to enable developing countries to initiate their HCFC phase-out activities and to reflect in full the spirit of decision XIX/6. In this context the Executive Committee also included consideration of additional funding for the introduction of low global warming potential (GWP) alternatives to HCFCs instead of converting to technologies that might be less expensive but use high‐GWP hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). This marks a small but really significant change from the Multilateral Fund’s approach to select the lowest cost technology to achieve the required reduction in ozone depleting substances. The Executive Committee is developing an approach to prioritizing the technologies that will replace HCFCs so that the most environmentally friendly ones could be chosen.

China has come a very long way in meeting its targets under the Montreal Protocol. However, this commitment will continue to be tested whilst the phase out of HCFCs remains a big challenge. The size of China and the corresponding level of production and consumption of HCFCs places it in the category of top consumer amongst developing countries. This will demand a more creative and innovative approach to how these substances can be phased out. China is rising to this challenge and our presence here today confirms that.

Minister, Ladies and gentlemen, I find it very fitting that this celebration is being held in this magnificent Great Hall of the People where the symbolism of magnanimity and generosity is evident for many of us. Such was the spirit of the negotiations in the Montreal Protocol, in which China and all developing countries participated genuinely and in all sincerity, and such will be the spirit that will continue to guide the phase out of HCFCs to preserve the global environment and to provide our children with a sustainable future.

I hope you will all join me in congratulating China as it commemorates twenty years of highly successful implementation of the Montreal Protocol, and as we encourage China to continue its strong efforts and dynamic leadership for the next twenty years to come.

Thank you very much for your attention.