Ozone depleting HCFCs to be phased out: Ramesh

India today 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 ozone 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 added.  

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.  

The minister's 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.

"What we want at Copenhagen is a series of Montreal Protocol type of agreements based on common but differentiated responsibilities where developed nations give a commitment to provide funds," Ramesh said.  

In this context, he added, over 97 per cent of controlled Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) have been phased out by the Montreal Protocol.  

The CFCs required for manufacturing inhalers used by Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients are still available in India and a national transition strategy to phase them out by 2013 is under implementation.  

The phase out schedule for HCFC was accelerated through a decision of the Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in September 2007.