Media Contact Sergio Jellinek 202-458-2841 Sjellinek@worldbank.org Tracey Osborne Miller tosborne@worldbank.org 202-473-4033 Prague, December 3 - China and Venezuela pledged today to phase out use and production of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) by 2010. With this announcement, no chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) will be used in developing countries. The measure will help avoid millions of cases of skin cancer and eye cataracts due to harmful ultraviolet rays resulting from the thinning of the ozone layer. The impact of this new course of action is global. More than 100,000 tons of CFC production will be eliminated annually. Beyond protecting the earth’s ozone layer, this commitment also ensures the reduction of emissions that contribute to global warming, the main cause of climate change. Shutting down CFC production represents a significant step in the fight to save the ozone layer. CFCs are used primarily used as coolants in refrigeration, air conditioners, as solvents in cleaners, blowing agents in the production of foam, and as propellants in aerosols. Companies which have switched to using CFC alternatives will not switch back to using CFCs, according to what is established in the Montreal Protocol (MP) which regulates this process. The Montreal Protocol, an international agreement adopted in 1987, establishes legally binding controls on production and consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODS). Without it, levels of ozone depleting substances in the atmosphere would have increased tenfold by 2050, which could have led to up to 20 million more cases of skin cancer and 130 million more cases of eye cataracts relative to 1980. The pledges from Venezuela and China were signed at the 44th Executive Committee Meeting for the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Protocol held in Prague. US$26.5 million was allocated for the two projects. The World Bank, as an implementing agency of the MP, has been working with these two countries to reduce production capacity and ultimately phase out the use of these CFCs and other chemicals such as Halon. Halon is a compound consisting of bromine, fluorine, and carbon used as a fire extinguishing agent. “By phasing out the production of ozone depleting substances in the atmosphere, the Montreal Protocol sets an extraordinary example of the power of global cooperation in dealing with global environmental threats. This partnership of poor and rich countries, which has effectively reversed the health risks posed by a thinning ozone layer over our planet, proves that results-oriented global collaboration works,” said Ian Johnson, Vice President, Sustainable Development, the World Bank. The Committee approved US$16.5 million for closure of the Venezuelan facility, PRODUVEN, which produces CFCs for use in foams and refrigeration. It is the last remaining production facility in South America and in the developing world to commit to closure. Closure of PRODUVEN will eliminate production of up to 12,000 tons of CFC per year and help accelerate Venezuela’s pledge to close the plant by 2007 – three years earlier than is required by the Montreal Protocol. China is the largest producer and consumer of ODS in the world. With the support of the World Bank through the MP, the government has already begun its plans to stop production of CFCs. It has now committed to accelerate this process and to ban production of CFCs by July 2007 as well as accelerate the phase out of carbon tetrachloride (CTC) and Halon 1301 production. These gases, although not covered by the Climate Change Convention or the Kyoto Protocol, do have significant global warming potential. The projects approved by the Committee in Prague will prevent approximately 225 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents from being emitted into the atmosphere. A total of US$10 million was approved at the Executive Committee meeting for this “Accelerated Phaseout Plan (APP) for China.” The APP will help China reduce the amount of ODS being emitted into the atmosphere by over 40,000 ODP tonnes. Funding for the APP is part of a bi-lateral cooperation program of the United States. Venezuela joins Argentina, China, India and Mexico and others which have all agreed to close down their CFC production facilities. ### |
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