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Montreal, Canada, 22 April 2013
In a landmark decision the Multilateral Fund’s Executive Committee has agreed to provide China, the largest producer and consumer of HCFCs, an amount up to US $385 million for the entire elimination of its industrial production of ozone depleting substances (ODS) by the year 2030. China has not only agreed to retire its current HCFC production capacity but will also retire surplus production capacity that is currently not utilized. HCFCs, as well as being the last remaining ozone depleting substances controlled by the Montreal Protocol and to be funded by the Multilateral Fund, are also greenhouse gases. According to a statement by the Government of China the total amount of HCFCs to be eliminated over the period to 2030 will prevent the emission of over 4.3 million metric tonnes of HCFCs, equal to 300,000 tonnes in terms of its ozone depletion potential, and 8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions. This is potentially the largest project approved so far under the Multilateral Fund since its inception.
China will close and dismantle its production lines producing only HCFCs for uses controlled under the Montreal Protocol and ensure that any HCFC plants that will receive funding do not switch to producing HCFCs as industrial feedstock, a use not controlled by the Montreal Protocol. China will also coordinate with stakeholders and make best efforts to manage HCFC production and associated by-product production in HCFC plants in accordance with best practices to minimize associated climate impacts. Over the next four years China will receive US $95 million to cover the first stage of its HCFC production phase-out management plan (HPPMP) to assist the country to meet the freeze in HCFC production by 2013 and the reduction by 10 per cent by 2015 as required by the Montreal Protocol’s HCFC phase-out schedule. The Multilateral Fund’s accountable and transparent structure will ensure that China’s performance under the HPPMP will be verified before further annual tranches are released and any interest earned by China on the amounts received will be offset against future tranches of funding.
The latest data shows that China produces 92 per cent of the total HCFC production of developing countries. China’s HCFCs are supplied to the world’s refrigeration, air conditioning and foam manufacturing sectors and also used as solvents and to some extent for fire protection equipment and the sterilization of medical devices. The phase-out of HCFC production in China is thus fundamental to ensure the compliance of all developing countries with the Montreal Protocol and the overall success of the Protocol.
Background:
The Montreal Protocol sets specific time bound targets to reduce and eventually phase-out the consumption and production of chemicals that damage the ozone layer (ozone depleting substances or ODS) in both developed and developing countries. The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol was established to provide financial and technical cooperation, including the transfer of technologies to Parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol, Article 5 countries, to enable their compliance with the Montreal Protocol’s targets. Article 5 countries are developing country Parties whose annual per capita consumption and production of CFCs and halons is less than 0.3 kg per capita on the date of entry into force of the Montreal Protocol or any time thereafter until 1 January 1999. There are currently 148 countries categorized as operating under Article 5 paragraph 1 of the Montreal Protocol (September 2012).
The Multilateral Fund 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 2013 the Committee membership includes Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, Japan, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America (developed countries) and India, Kuwait, Mali, Nicaragua, Serbia Uganda and Uruguay (developing country members) . Ms. Fiona Walters (United Kingdom) serves as Chair and Mr. Vladan Zdravkovic (Serbia) serves as Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee for one year beginning 1 January 2013. 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 approximately US $3 billion that will result in the phase out of more than 460,000 ODP tonnes of consumption and production of ODS in developing countries.
In September 2007 the Parties to the Montreal Protocol decided to accelerate the freeze and phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are ozone-depleting substances (ODS) with a significant global-warming potential. The Montreal Protocol requires Article 5 country Parties to gradually phase-out HCFCs starting from 2013 with a freeze in consumption and production, a 10 per cent reduction by 2015, 35 per cent reduction by 2020, a 67.5 per cent reduction by 2025 resulting in the complete phase-out of HCFC consumption and production by 2030 while allowing an amount of 2.5 per cent for the servicing of existing refrigeration and air conditioning equipment during the period 2030 to 2040. The Multilateral Fund intends to finance HCFC phase out in the countries eligible for its financial and technical assistance. As at the 69th meeting of the Executive Committee that took place from 15 to 19 April 2013 in Montreal (Canada), 138 Article 5 countries have national plans to phase-out HCFCs in place.
For further information, please contact:
Julia Anne Dearing
Information Management Officer
Secretariat of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
1000, De La Gauchetière Street West
Montreal, Quebec
H3B 4W5, Canada
Phone: +1514 282-7862
Mobile: +1 514 591 9353
E-mail: secretariat@unmfs.org
Mr. Augustine John, President, GRAVA
GRAVA Elects a New President
St. George’s Grenada, Thursday April 04, 2013: The Grenada Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA) at a Special General Meeting called for members on Thursday April 4th, 2013, elected a new President to govern the affairs of the Association. The meeting was called after outgoing president Mr. Henry Frederick tendered his resignation on March 8th, 2013, having served in the position for approximately four months.
The new President, Mr. Augustine John was elected unopposed by the members present at the meeting. Mr. John who is a former school principal and a former Government Minister, pursued his studies in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning in Germany and brings over twenty (20) years experience to the executive.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. John thanked the members for the confidence they have placed in him and pledged his full commitment to advance the aims and objectives of the association.
As part of his early responsibilities as President, the members issued a mandate to Mr. John to undertake as a priority the following activities: constitutional review, establishment of working committees, a newsletter publication and a review of the current annual work plan of the association.
The National Ozone Unit (NOU) would like to extend congratulations to Mr. John and wish him well in his tenure as President of the Grenada Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association.
National Ozone Unit of Grenada 