INDIA CALLS FOR FULL ASSISTANCE TO
ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF MONTREAL PROTOCOL
India has called for the creation
of a special funding window to meet the shortfall in assistance
to projects in developing countries to achieve the goal of phasing
out Ozone Depleting Substances under the Montreal Protocol. Addressing
the Fifteenth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
in Nairobi last night, the Environment & Forests Minister,
Shri T.R. Baalu said that such funding would be crucial for small
and medium enterprises in Terminal Phase Out Plans.
"Although under the Protocol,
the commitment is to meet the incremental costs in full, thresholds
for overall cost effective-ness are being imposed while approving
investment projects. This is bound to adversely affect the Article
5 countries in assisting the small and medium enterprises for
timely compliance, especially in Terminal Phase Out Plans. India
would, therefore, like to propose for considering additional assistance
by opening a special funding window by differentiated cost effectiveness
for small and micro enterprises in all sectors in the next triennium",
he said.
Shri Baalu said that it’s time to
address the phasing out of ODS from the Service Sector as it caters
largely to small and micro enterprises providing livelihood to
millions of people. Giving the example of the refrigeration-servicing
sector alone, he said, it employs over 70,000 skilled persons
in India. Therefore, provision of adequate resources is the most
important issue before the Government to ensure the success of
Montreal Protocol. He said that the next task for India would
be to take all precautionary measures to prevent illegal trade
in ODS.
Shri Baalu sought greater cooperation
between the two environmental treaties - the Montreal Protocol
and the Kyoto Protocol, which aim to protect global environment.
Such an action will maintain the sustainability of environment
without any undue economic burden on the developing countries.
Listing the steps taken by India
to achieve the goals set by the Montreal Protocol, Shri Baalu
said that the country has already phased out Halon well before
the notified control schedule. CFC production phase out is also
progressing, in fact ahead of schedule. He thanked the Executive
Committee for approval of $ 52 million for National Carbon Tetra
Chloride (CTC) Phase Out Plan. However, he expressed his concern
about the stringent target of 85% reduction in production and
consumption of CTC. Shri Baalu hoped that with the help and cooperation
of implementing and bilateral agencies India would be able to
meet its compliance targets. "India has now entered the most
difficult phase of compliance and, therefore, it requires greater
support from the world community to enable it to keep up its commitments",
he said.
The Meeting of Parties took note
of some of the crucial findings of the Assessment Panels, specifically
on the decreasing trend of the concentration of chlorine in the
atmosphere and ozone depletion. The study has not yet confirmed
whether the area of the ozone hole has maximized. In recent years,
the ozone hole has persisted into early summers and thereby the
adverse impact of ultra-violet light on planet Earth has increased.
The study has also revealed that atmospheric cooling attributed
to the delay in recovery of ozone layer has its impact on the
climate system. The delegates were informed that new research
had begun to explore the relationship between climate change and
the recovery of the ozone layer.
The Meeting of Parties also decided
to adjust the Protocol by introducing the interim phase out schedule
for methyl bromide in respect of developing countries. The reduction
schedules are: 60% reduction by 2007, 75% by 2009, 95% reduction
by 2012 and 100% by 2015. The Protocol has been amended by changing
the date for reporting of data from 30th September
to 30th June. Apart from the above, a decision has
been taken on the implications of the entry into force of the
Beijing Amendment, particularly in relation to trade in and supply
of HCFCs.
