Ozone depleting HCFCs to be phased out

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) India Tuesday unveiled a detailed
roadmap for phase out of ozone depleting and green house gas
Hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and sought adequate funds
and technology from the global community for it.

"We have taken early initiatives for responding to the
challenges of phase out of HCFCs, an oozone depleting
substance causing global warming. We are going to mitigate the
use of HCFCs by 10 per cent by 2015 and to zero by 2030,"
Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said after release of the HCFC
phase-out action plan at a function here.

"But we are still clueless what technology we will use
and from where will we get funds to meet the challenges," he
said.

HCFCs are used in the air conditioner and refrigeration
industry.

The Minister called for resolving IPR issues and making
available fund and technology aid at the earliest to the
developing countries like India and China who have unveiled
the roadmap for phasing out HCFC in various sectors, a move
which, he said, indicates the country's seriousness to save
the environment.

"We have pro-actively phased out ozone depleting
substances (ODS) like CFCs as on 1 August 2008, 17 months
prior to the agreed schedule due to our commitments backed by
Montreal protocol which has the explicit financial
arrangements for transfer technologies," he pointed out.

His observation assumes significance ahead of the
Copenhagen conference on climate change in December where
developing nations are looking for a Montreal Protocol-like
agreement which ensures transfer of technology with voluntary
contributions from industralised countries. PTI