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HOMECombating Climate Change Given Big Confidence Boost in Canada Governments Agree to Accelerated ‘Freeze and Phase-out” of Ozone and Climate- Montreal/Nairobi, 22 September 2007 An historic agreement to tackle the twin challenges of protecting the ozone layer and combating climate change has been agreed by governments. Nations signed up to an accelerated freeze and phase out of substances known as hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) under the 20 year-old Montreal Protocol-- the UNEP treaty established in 1987 to protect the Earth’s ozone layer from chemical attack. The decision, including an agreement that sufficient funding will be made available to achieve the strategy, follows mounting evidence that HCFCs contribute to global warming. HCFCs emerged as replacement chemicals in the 1990s for in air conditioning, some forms of refrigeration equipment and foams following an earlier decision to phase-out older and more ozone-damaging chemicals known as CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons. Governments meeting in the Canadian city agreed at the close to freeze production of HCFCs in 2013 and bring forward the final phase-out date of these chemicals by ten years. The acceleration may also assist in restoring the health of the ozone layer-the high flying gas that filters out damaging levels of ultra violet light-by a few years too. Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, praised the decision taken at the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Montreal Protocol calling it an ‘important and quick win’ for combating climate change. “Historic is an often over-used word but not in the case of this agreement made in Montreal. Governments had a golden opportunity to deal with the twin challenges of climate change and protecting the ozone layer-and governments took it. The precise and final savings in terms of greenhouse gas emissions could amount to several billions of tonnes illustrating the complementarities of international environmental agreements,” he said. Mr Steiner also congratulated the government of Canada and John Baird, the Canadian Environment Minister, for hosting a successful meeting. Mr Steiner said:” I believe the agreement and the spirit of Montreal can build confidence in the United Nations as a platform for negotiating effective agreements for addressing the environmental challenges of our time”. “Montreal underlines that when nations are united they can achieve a great deal and on multiple fronts. It also underlines how international treaties-in this case the UN’s Montreal Protocol and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change-can deliver far more when we build on the scientific consensus and mobilize the technological and economic means to act,” he added. John Baird, Canada’s Environment Minister, added: “The Montreal Protocol, already considered the most successful environmental agreement to date, delivers once again, to protect the ozone layer as well as the most pressing issue of our time-climate change. Today’s announcement demonstrates the kind of concrete action citizens around the world are demanding”. |
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