Copyright © 1999 Reuters Limited
November 29, 1999
BEIJING, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The world has made progress in cutting the amount of ozone-killing substances it releases into the atmosphere, a United Nations official said on Monday.
``Scientists have reported that some potent ozone depleting substances (ODS) at the upper stratosphere has decreased and this is a very positive sign,'' Omar El-Arini, chief officer of the Secretariat of the Multilateral Fund for the Montreal Protocol, told Reuters in an interview.
``This is the result of the elimination of ODS from countries such as the United States, Japan, Canada, Western Europe and some of the developing countries, said El-Arini,
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THE TARGET
The 172 member countries of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer are discussing proposals to add $300-500 million to the existing $1-billion fund to help developing countries to make alternatives to ODS.
A U.N. Environment Programme report said that in 1997 China produced about 98,050 tonnes of the global ODS output of 278,250 tonnes, and consumed 90,510 tonnes of ODS out of the world's 256,600 tonnes.
India's ODS production in 1997 was 31,850 tonnes and consumption was 14,820 tonnes, it said.
El-Arini said that in the next 10 years, China would get $150 million and India would receive $82 million to help reduce the production of ozone-depleting substances.
``The new money will take into consideration the payment to both China and India for the closure of halon and CFC production,'' El-Arini said.
He said that without the action taken under the Montreal Protocol, the consequences would have been grave.
If some of the industries which have switched to alternatives had continued to use ODS, the world's consumption would have hit half a million tonnes in 1997, he said.
ANTARCTIC OZONE HOLE MAY GROW
The ozone layer, which shields the earth from the sun's harmful radiation, has had large holes eaten out of it by compounds released by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons used in refrigerators, causing illnesses including skin cancer.
The ozone hole over Antarctica covered 9.8 million square miles (25.38 million square km) on September 15, according to preliminary data from NASA's Earth Probe satellite.
``If action is not taken, the hole above the Antarctica will be bigger and another hole might develop in the north,'' El-Arini said.
The Montreal Protocol calls for developing countries to freeze their emissions of ozone-depleting CFCs and halon at average 1995-97 levels in the year from July 1, 1999. They must then cut back to 50 percent of those levels by 2005.
``Healing of the ozone layer will take place in the coming decades if the concerted efforts are taken now by developing countries,'' El-Arini said.
He also lauded China's efforts in implementing the Montreal Protocol, saying that the government had succeeded in raising awareness of ozone protection in the industries involved in ODS production.
``China is developing at a very fast rate and there is fantastic momentum in the government here in raising public awareness of the ozone problem,'' El-Arini said.
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